He's My Girl
by Karaumea
Summary: Co-authored by Ai Kisugi. When Sesshoumaru said he would help them, Inuyasha and Kouga, the notorious bad boys, did not expect to find themselves as two of the hottest girls in an all girls boarding school. Inu/Kag
1. I Wish I Had a Daughter

_**Disclaimer: **__We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters._

**HE'S MY GIRL**

_Co-authored by the talented and brilliant _**Ai Kisugi**

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Chapter 1: I Wish I Had a Daughter…**

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_This chapter has strong language. Please do not read if that offends you._

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In the generously furnished living room of the Takahashi mansion, two middle-aged couples waited anxiously. Mrs. Takahashi and Mrs. Ookami sat silently on the white leather couch, waiting patiently. Meanwhile, their husbands preferred to pace the room. Every once in a while, one of the two men would cry out in anger—only to be silenced by the women.

Apparently, it was now Mr. Takahashi's turn. "Just what the hell could they have possibly done this time?!"

"Dear, please calm down. Sesshoumaru will be here any moment now. Perhaps it's not as bad as you think," reassured Mrs. Takahashi as she tried to reason with him. She might have looked calm and collected, but inside, she was fuming almost as much as her husband. She was trying to hold on to the smallest amount of hope that her precious son had not done anything wrong. Was her step son, Sesshoumaru, exaggerating when he asked for this urgent meeting? He told her that it was about the boys. She hoped against hope that for just this once her dear Inuyasha was innocent.

"No, Izayoi! I will not calm down! You and I both know our son! Have you forgotten what they did the last time?! If it is anything like that, I swear I'm going to kill…"

He was cut short by Mrs. Takahashi's angry voice, "Taisho! Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

Of course, she couldn't forget what happened the last time the boys got into trouble. How could any of them forget? They had been caught with drugs in the men's restroom at the last high school they had been attending. Just like every time, they had been saved from being charged, thanks to their fathers' money and power. However, even the loaded donation their fathers had offered could not rescue them from being expelled. The school had been a respected one, only accepting the children of well-endowed families, or the exceptionally bright ones. She had hoped that the rather peaceful environment of the school would help her aggressive and irresponsible son to improve himself. It seemed that, contrary to her expectations, Inuyasha had ruined the school's atmosphere. The same could be said for Kouga. The Ookamis had been called several times by the headmaster because the womanizing wolf demon had been caught in scandalous circumstances with several different girls while at school. As a result, the drug incident had been the last straw. That was three months ago. Since then, they couldn't find another school that would accept their notorious boys.

She sighed, getting irritated by her husband's insistent pacing. Sending him a self-reproving glare, she turned her head to see her long awaited stepson enter the living room.

"Thank God, Sesshoumaru! What happened?" inquired Izayoi.

"Relax." Slowly walking into the room, he gestured for the angry fathers to sit down. "Please, gentlemen, take a seat." Sitting on an armchair himself, he looked from one face to another and sighed before talking. "I guess you must have realized the boys were out late all this week?"

Mr. Takahashi snorted at that. "So? They're always out late."

"Well, I've learned that they have been going to the big casino on the outskirts of the city. The Jewel?"

Mr Ookami's eyes widened hearing the casino's name. "I know that one. It's owned by Naraku, the notorious mob boss."

"Oh, shit!" Mr. Takahashi would have continued his swearing, if his wife had not smacked his arm.

Turning to Sesshoumaru, she asked, "I don't understand. They're only seventeen. How could they get into a casino?"

Sesshoumaru did not even blink before responding, "Fake ID's… but that's the least of our problems."

"I would think so. Tell us, Sesshoumaru, and make it quick. I don't have enough patience left," stormed Inutaisho.

Seeing the thunders in his father's eyes, he knew it was a matter of time before he snapped and destroyed half of the house. Not wanting to take his anger upon himself, he dived into the topic. "Tonight, I've received a call from Naraku himself. Obviously, he caught Kouga in bed with his daughter a few hours ago."

"Dammit! That's Kouga for you," said Mr. Ookami. He did not look any better than his old friend. "When will this stupid boy ever learn to keep his dick in his pants?!"

"That's not all. Naraku said he would have stopped with giving Kouga a good beating. He wanted Koga to learn to not mess with his daughter. However, when he sent his men to throw Kouga out and to give him a lesson… that's where Inuyasha comes into the picture…"

Mrs. Takahashi gasped hearing that. "Oh, no… he didn't…"

"Unfortunately, he did. He said Inuyasha had beaten up half of his security, causing great damage to the casino."

Mr. Takahashi jumped to his feet and stalked towards the window. After a few seconds, he turned back to face the rest of the group, his eyes almost red from his anger. "That baka! I'm going to kill him!"

Snorting, Sesshoumaru chose that moment to let them know the most important part of the information he had. "Get in the line, father. Naraku claimed that right first."

All four heads snapped in his direction, their mouths opening at the same time to cry out exactly the same word. "What?!"

As if he was talking about the weather, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his seat and explained in a very calm voice. "Well, he said he was going to kill them both for tainting his reputation."

Her eyes wide, Mrs. Takahashi turned to her husband, and asked the one question which everyone in the room wanted to know the answer, "What shall we do now?"

Closing his eyes, Mr. Takahashi turned his back to the group. After a few seconds, he sighed, and looked back at his wife over his shoulder, before quietly adding, "Nothing."

Mrs. Takahashi knitted her brows as if she did not understand what he just said. "What?"

"We won't do anything this time. Let the bastards clean up their own mess. I'm fed up with this." He sounded so tired that Mrs. Takahashi thought that for the first time in his long life, the great dog demon showed his age.

It seemed that Mr. Ookami was no different from her husband in that aspect. "I think you're right, my friend. We protected them every time they did something bad, and look where we are now. It's obvious that they won't learn anything as long as they know they can depend on us. If they are ever going to grow up, then they need a harsh lesson."

Both men looked at the women before Mr. Takahashi asked his wife, "You won't object?"

To his surprise, Mrs. Takahashi shook her head. "No. You're right. Although I'm not comfortable with the idea that a dangerous mob boss is chasing my son, I don't think we will be helping them if we intrude. What will happen if a time comes when we won't be there to save them? They really have a lot to learn in order to become good men."

Nodding, Mrs. Ookami voiced her approval, "I agree, but we can't just leave them completely unprotected, can we? I mean, it's their lives we're talking about. What if Naraku does what he says? We should find a way to secure the safety of their lives. I don't know… put them on a deserted island?"

Despite their taut nerves, everyone laughed at Mrs. Ookami's last words. After their laughter finally subsided, Mrs. Takahashi picked up the conversation, "She's right, you know… We must find a way to hide them, but they should not be happy about it. So the island idea is not what we're looking for. I'm sure Kouga would find a mermaid to fool around with, and Inuyasha would fight with sharks if he can't find anything else."

The group fell silent for a few minutes, thinking about a way that would work well for their purposes. Not coming up with anything, Mrs. Takahashi sighed tiredly. "Gods, I honestly wish I had a daughter instead of a son."

Mrs. Ookami gave her old friend a small smile before commiserating, "Agreed. Girls aren't nearly as much trouble."

Sesshoumaru, who had been a silent observer for the last ten minutes, looked at the two women, a strange glint in his eyes, and smirked evilly before asking, "What did you just say?"

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Two sports cars stopped nose to nose on the deserted outskirts of Tokyo. A young man jumped out of the midnight blue Porsche 911 GT2. He was wearing baggy blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His long black hair tied in a high ponytail. Meanwhile, the driver of the silver Ferrari F430 Spider leaped out of his seat at the same time. His black clad body could not be seen in the darkness. Moonlight only revealed his silver-white hair.

"I'm fucked!" shouted the two boys at the same time.

"What?!" yelled the troublemakers in perfect synchronization.

"Dude, I'm officially dead! Dad just kicked me out, and told me to go fuck myself!" bellowed the black haired boy before kicking the tire of his car. Turning to his friend, he plunged his hand to his back pocket, and took out his wallet before throwing it on the ground with anger. "My credit cards do not work! Man, I'm totally, completely, screwed!"

"Keh! Same here, buddy. My old man did almost exactly the same thing. Even mom did not stop him!" Raking his hand through his silver hair, the boy in black started pacing back and forth, before he stopped and turned his golden eyes to his friend. "This is your fault, you know that, you dick-head? Did you have to fuck his daughter?"

The other boy's blue eyes widened at his friend's accusation. "My fault? MY FAULT?" The silver-haired boy winced at the high volume of his friend's voice. The dog ears on top his head hiding among his unruly hair, but the enraged wolf demon did not stop his tirade, poking the hanyou in the chest as he accused, "Did you just have to go and kick the shit out of those men and destroy half of his casino, dog-turd?!"

They glared at each other for a few seconds before smirking at the same time.

"Hell, yeah!" they shouted in exaltation as they high-fived each other.

Laughing, they sat on the hoods of their respective cars before Kouga sighed and continued, "Man, that was a piece of ass I would do anything just to get a taste of, you know."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his friend before crossing his arms on his chest, his black shirt becoming taut under the strain of his biceps. "She was alright, I guess. But you have the worst timing as always. Do you know that? I was fucking winning, man! I was on a roll! And what do I see?" Uncrossing his arms, he put one hand on the hood of his car, while he gestured to his friend's lounging form with the other, before letting it fall to his side. "A shirtless Kouga running out of the elevator with Naraku's henchmen in his tail… Now how could I resist that?" He pointed his index finger at the wolf demon, his brows knitted in seriousness. "You owe me, buddy. I left all my fucking money on that damned table because of you." He crossed his arms again, and lifting his head to the sky, shouted at the heavens, "And now I don't have a fucking cent in my pockets, and my fucking cards won't work either!"

Following that blow out, both friends stayed silent for a few minutes, each contemplating their situation in their heads. Sighing, Kouga decided to end the silence. "So… what do we do now?"

"Keh! No parents, no home, no money… What is left?"

The look Inuyasha sent him left no suspicion in Kouga's mind. "Oh, shit! Do you think he'll help?" asked Kouga.

Rolling his eyes, the silver-haired boy took his cell phone from his back pocket. "There's only one way to learn," responded the hanyou. After dialing the number labeled as 'Bastard' on his contact list, he waited to hear the dreaded voice of his older half-brother.

"If you haven't noticed, it's three in the morning, Inubaka. Some of us have to get up in the morning."

"Yeah, yeah… Can it Sessh, okay? I need your help."

He heard Sesshoumaru sigh on the other end of the line. "I know."

"You do?" _What the hell?! How did he hear about it so quick?!_

"I think I just said that," responded his older brother morosely.

"Man, is there anyone left in this fucking city that doesn't know what just happened to us?!"

"Stop whining, pup. I'll help you out this time."

_He will? Damn… this must be my day…_ "O-okay. We're coming over."

"No, you are not. You'll meet me in my office tomorrow at 2 pm. Until then, I don't want to see your face."

"Tomorrow?! What the hell are we supposed to do until then? Where can we sleep, asshole?"

"I thought you still had your car. Use it."

Seeing that Sesshoumaru already hung up on him before he could snap back a witty comment, he put the phone in his pocket, and laid back on the hood of his car. "Bastard."

* * *

Shortly before 2PM, the two boys exited the elevator on the top floor of the skyscraper of the Takahashi building. Immediately in front of them was a lovely young woman sitting by the large desk in front of Sesshoumaru's office.

"Hey there, Ayako. What's up?" asked the silver-haired teenager.

Looking up from the plasma monitor, the young woman with square-rimmed glasses smiled at Inuyasha. "Hi, Inuyasha! What are you doing here? Or should I say… what did you do this time?"

After the rather uncomfortable night he had spent in his car, Inuyasha was not in the mood to put up with her jokes like he usually did. "Is he in?"

Understanding the young man's bad mood, Ayako nodded her head. Her smile never left her face. "Yes, he is waiting for you."

Without thanking his brother's secretary, he made his way toward the door, already impatient to be done with this meeting. However, after a few steps, he felt as if something was missing. Turning around, he realized what it was.

Kouga, the wolf that he was, was sitting on her desk flirting with Ayako. Correction… Kouga was reclining on her desk with a lecherous smile on his face. It was a look that girls found charming and the very same look that Inuyasha found annoying. Shaking his head, he walked towards the oblivious wolf demon, and smacked the back of his head before whispering loudly.

"Do you think he would still help us if you fucked his secretary, asshole?"

Sighing, Kouga stood up, and followed him towards the door after sending the secretary a flying kiss.

They got in the expensively furnished office, to see Sesshoumaru sitting by his desk, his eyes glued to the screen of his computer. He did not even look at them as he stated, "Have a seat, gentlemen."

When the two boys were comfortably seated on the black leather couch in the middle of the large office, he finally turned to face them, his eyes burning with anger. "Do you two idiots know how much trouble you are in this time?"

Being used to his brother's hostile attitude, Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at his outburst. "Hey, we know that, okay? We just need to get away for a little while… until all of this is forgotten."

"Are you really that stupid, Inuyasha? Sometimes I can't believe that we are actually related."

Now, here he was, trying to be civil and all, and what did he get in return? "What the hell is your problem, bastard?!"

"My problem, idiot, is that you two are not aware that you are buried up to your damned necks in shit! Do you honestly think that someone like Naraku would give up on chasing you, after you ruined his reputation with that stunt you pulled back there?!" Standing up, the older man walked towards the little bar on the back of his office, and turned back to stand in front of the two stunned boys after getting himself a drink. "Let me answer that for you. No. He personally let me know that he wants both of you dead. Literally."

It was funny indeed… how their eyes got so wide at the same time. Trying hard to stop the grin that threatened to surface on his normally stoic face, Sesshoumaru turned his back to the two idiots, and opted to watch the magnificent view of western Tokyo from his panoramic window. He couldn't keep the grin off of his face when he heard his brother whisper, "Shit."

"That's what I said. You're drowning in your own shit, you morons."

"How will you help us?" Now that was unfair. Even Sesshoumaru felt bad hearing the defeated voice of his rebellious brother.

"There is only one way. He would know the instant you left the country, so running away is not an option. You'll hide."

"Hide? Hide where?" It was Kouga this time. Looking over his shoulder, Sesshoumaru saw that his younger brother seemed as confused as his friend sounded. Smirking, he turned to face them. _Oh, this was going to be so much fun…_

"Nowhere. You'll be in front of everyone, but you'll be hidden at the same time."

"I don't get it," responded Inuyasha in confusion.

"I suppose you wouldn't. It's simple though. Stand up."

As the two boys stood up looking at each other with questioning eyes, he took the two objects he had gone through much trouble to obtain in such a short time.

"What are these? Bracelets?" Seeing the bracelets he held in his hand, Inuyasha reached to take them from him, only to have his hand slapped by his irritated older brother.

"They are your brand new concealment charms our old friend Totosai made upon my request."

"Concealment charms?" Being the smartest one among the two, Inuyasha's face brightened with understanding. "Man, this is freaking awesome! So we won't need to hide at all!"

"You can say that, I suppose. Those magical bracelets will conceal your appearance as well as your scents and voices. Trust me, no one will be able to recognize you—not even your mothers."

"Sessh, you fucking rock man!" Too excited by the idea, Kouga tried to give a high five to the stoic businessman. However, his hand only grasped air under Sesshoumaru's bored gaze.

"I know," answered Sesshoumaru flatly. "Now I will put these on you. You won't be taking them off for a long time after today. So, get used to wearing these bracelets." As he put the bracelets on their wrists, he took a step back, a strange light in his eyes, and an even stranger—a scary grin on his face. "Besides, you couldn't take them off even if you wanted to, for only the one that puts it on can take it off. Which, in this case, happens to be me."

"Thanks man." Hearing his brother talk, Sesshoumaru's smile even widened, which was followed by Inuyasha's outburst, "What the fuck?! What happened to my voice?!"

Too busy with his own bracelet, Kouga put in his own two cents before looking up. "Yeah, man. Why does Inuyasha sound like a…" His eyes widening at the sound of his own voice, the wolf demon looked up to his friend only to see him looking back at him with equally wide eyes. They opened and closed their mouths with no words coming out, before shouting at the same time.

"Like a GIRL?!"

Just then, the secretary's voice was heard on the speaker. "Mr. Takahashi, your 2:15 pm appointment is here."

"Great. Send him in." Paying no heed to the bewildered states of the boys, Sesshoumaru walked towards the door to meet the newcomer.

The boys opened their mouths to let the businessman know whatever curses were going through their minds for this cruel joke, but were cut short at the sight of the person that entered the room. It was the one person they were trying to avoid.

"Welcome, Naraku." After nodding politely to the man, Sesshoumaru walked him to the armchair in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat."

Sitting down on his own chair behind his desk, he turned to Naraku. He gazed out of the corner of his eye at the boys-turned-girls standing by the couch, their mouths agape. _Payback time, Inuyasha…_

"Oh, please excuse my manners. Naraku, this is my sister, Shaya. And this lovely lady is her best friend, Kori."

Turning his head towards the other occupants of the room, Naraku looked them up and down, his distaste apparent on his face. "Your sister has a peculiar sense of fashion."

Sesshoumaru looked at up and down at his little brother-turned-sister, before adding his own comment. His eyes were shining with mirth, and a stupid grin that did not sit well with his character, plastered on his face. "She does, indeed… Well, luckily she's not the reason I asked to meet you."

"Yes, luckily for me. However, I can't say the same for your brother," remarked Naraku.

"Are you sure you want to kill him? I mean, I wouldn't think he would be worth the trouble."

"Well, I do, and I'll keep my word. Is that a problem for you, Sesshoumaru?"

Leaning back on his chair, Sesshoumaru shook his head, before sending a fleeting look at his 'sister'. Shaya was sitting on the couch with her jaw clenched as if she was trying to keep expletives from flowing out of her mouth.

"Definitely not. Do as you wish, for I agree that he went too far this time."

Smirking at the response he got from the dog demon, Naraku relaxed in his seat. "That's good to hear, for I would hate to terminate our business relations."

Before Sesshoumaru could express his agreement, Ayako's voice was heard from the speaker once more. "Mr. Takahashi, your next appointment is here."

"Send her in, Ayako." Turning to Naraku, he apologized for the double booking of his appointments, saying that his secretary was forgetful these days, before an old lady walked into the office.

Standing up, he greeted the old woman. "Welcome, Ms. Kaede. I really appreciate you coming here."

"Oh, please Mr. Takahashi. I'm honored that you chose to see me in the first place."

He walked the old woman to the armchair across from the one Naraku was seated in. Seeing the old woman, Naraku stood up and bowed politely. "Ms. Kaede… What a surprise! I wouldn't expect to see you here in a million years."

"Well, I wouldn't be here, if Mr. Takahashi had not invited me to meet with our new students."

"New students?" Naraku asked, before his eyes landed on the two girls standing nervously by the couch. "Oh, I see. You girls are very lucky. Ms. Kaede here runs the best school around here. My daughter, Kagura, is one of her students, and cannot stop but talk about how happy she is to be in this school whenever she comes home."

Inuyasha's jaw was still clenched, causing Sesshoumaru wonder if his fangs were still intact, but Kouga finally found his voice to utter a weak, "W-what?"

"Ms. Kaede. Thank you for coming all this way on such a short notice to get the girls. I would drop them myself, but you know how it is… this is the busiest time of the year."

"Oh, please Mr. Takahashi. I'm honored that such well known families are interested in our school. I'm sure your sister and Ms. Ookami will be pleased to be among us."

"Shaya, Kori… This is Ms. Kaede, the headmistress of the 'Shikon All Girls Boarding School'. She will take you to your new school… or should I say, new home?"

Not realizing the horrified looks on the girls' faces, Kaede smiled at Sesshoumaru's comment. "Oh, definitely. We always try our best to make our girls feel at home. After all, we're nothing but a big family."

Only after she was finished talking did Kaede turn to examine her new students for the first time. The headmistress swallowed a nervous frown as she tried to smile widely at her new charges. "Oh, my! Such lovely girls! I'm sure you'll make lots of friends in a short time." Still oblivious to the teenagers' shock, she stood up, and turned to face the two businessmen. "Now if you'll excuse us, Mr. Takahashi, Mr. Naraku, we have to get back to the school. As you might know, we have a long way to go."

"Of course, Ms. Kaede. Thank you again, for coming here. And girls, your clothes and other stuff had been sent to your new rooms already. So, don't worry about that. And, let me get these…" Under their confused looks, Sesshoumaru took the brand new girls' keys from their pockets. "You won't need these after all." He winked at them before adding, "We'll stay in touch." With that he shoved them out the door after Ms. Kaede, and closed the door on their terrified faces.

Outside, the boys looked at each other, and swearing under their breath, turned to follow the headmistress.

End of Chapter 1


	2. The Shikon All Girls Boarding School

_**Disclaimer: **__We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters._

**HE'S MY GIRL**

_Co-authored by the talented and brilliant _**Ai Kisugi**

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Chapter 2: The Shikon All Girls Boarding School**

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_This chapter has strong language and some sexual situations. Please do not read if that offends you._

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Walking down the long corridor to where his father's office was located, Sesshoumaru tried to keep from chuckling. The picture of his brother's—or rather, brand new _sister_'s—annoyed face was swimming in his head. After he had closed his office door to the stunned teenager's face, leaving the boy no choice to follow the headmistress, he couldn't help himself and reopened the door. Getting out into the hall, he had spotted his brother getting into the elevator after the old woman and Kouga-turned-Kori. Keeping his amusement—something severely uncharacteristic for him—from showing on his face and in his voice, he had called the hanyou's new name he had personally chosen for him, "Shaya."

The hanyou, who had been leaning on the interior wall of the elevator, had looked up, a flicker of hope shining in his golden eyes. Knowing that he had been about to crush his hopes, and already enjoying it, Sesshoumaru opened his mouth, "Little sister, be careful around boys. You smell too nice for your own good."

Just like the dog demon had expected, that small light in his brother's eyes had died instantly, only to be replaced by unsuppressed fury. Sesshoumaru was sure his lips had twitched when Inuyasha had given him the finger right before the elevator doors had closed, blocking the boy's now delicate figure from view. His little brother was so predictable. _The insolent whelp…_

Having sent away the two boys that had done nothing but give their families trouble over the past few years, he had returned to his office to attend to his other 'guest.' He hadn't been happy about having Naraku in his office, but his presence had been necessary to make the boys leave with the headmistress. The guy was dangerous—a mob boss. Even worse than that, he probably had strong ties with the Yakuza, seeing that he owned a casino in the middle of Tokyo. Sesshoumaru wasn't intimidated by Naraku's presence. He could take out the bastard if he needed to. The businessman was the son of Inutaisho—the leader of the respected and feared dog clan. However, their clan did not want to get involved with criminals, and he intended to keep it that way. For that reason alone, he had once more assured Naraku that he had had no problems with the punishment the mob boss had chosen for his brother as he had accompanied the man to the elevator.

Despite his words to the mob boss, Sesshoumaru was not about to let the scum harm his brother, and neither was his father. The younger Takahashi was hard-headed and troublesome, but he did not deserve to die because a Yakuza head was angry. It wouldn't be wise to declare war against Naraku in the name of his brother though—especially when the casino owner was right in his cause. For the time being, it was the best for the aggressive hanyou and his horny friend to just disappear from the face of the earth.

Passing by his father's secretary without even a glance in her direction, he opened the heavy door and let himself in unannounced. Well, he didn't need to knock, did he? Three out of four of the occupants of the room had already smelled his arrival. Besides, they had been waiting for him for over an hour.

As he closed the door, he felt four sets of eyes bore into his back. He glanced back over his shoulder before turning to face the foursome. Mr. and Mrs. Ookami were sitting on the leather couch in front of the glass wall, facing his father's desk. The couple supported identical expressions that screamed anxiety. Turning away from them, he saw Izayoi standing behind his father's chair, her hands stilled on her mate's shoulders. She was probably in the middle of a massage that was meant to soothe his nerves. Finally, his eyes landed on his father who was sitting by his desk, patiently waiting to hear the news. The elder Takahashi's golden eyes were glued to his eldest son, practically trying to read his mind with his gaze.

He was a strange man—his father—his character a perfect combination of his sons'. He could be as temperamental as Inuyasha at times, but in others, his cold and calculating demeanor even surpassed Sesshoumaru's. That enigmatic character along with his immense demonic power was what made Inutaisho Takahashi a fearsome leader. All in all, he was the only man in the world this Sesshoumaru had the slightest inclination to fear. Having no intention to raise his sire's ire, he decided that to answer the silent question before it was voiced.

"It is done."

Instantly, four sets of lungs released the air that had been held in them for the last few seconds. He knew it wasn't over yet. Anxiety on their faces and eyes morphed into curiosity. Just like he expected, the first question came from his father. "How did they react to the charms?"

Turning left, Sesshoumaru made his way to the small bar in the corner of the large room while he explained, "They really did not have time to react. Naraku arrived right on time…" Filling a glass with water, he continued, "…which kept them from objecting to anything."

"So everything went exactly according to plan, eh?" asked Mr. Ookami, his cerulean eyes were the perfect replicas of the hot brunette that had left Sesshoumaru's office minutes ago.

That stray thought made Sesshoumaru shudder, almost causing him to choke on his water—_almost_. He gulped discreetly before he composed himself and answered, his smooth voice belying his momentary lapse of control, "Exactly."

A soft sigh reached his ears followed by Mrs. Ookami's melodic voice. "I'm still not comfortable with this plan."

Glancing at the wolf demoness, Sesshoumaru saw her husband reach to hold her hand to comfort the still nervous woman. "Don't worry, dear. This is the perfect punishment for Kouga." Mr. Ookami's voice held unconcealed amusement as he continued, "He'll be like a wolf on diet in a barn full of sheep!"

"And that's what frightens me the most," exclaimed Mrs. Ookami, before her voice turned to outright panic. "We are putting a wolf dressed like a sheep in the middle of a herd of sheep!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes as he took a sip from his glass. _Women._ They always found something to worry about, didn't they? He decided to enlighten the woman, not because he felt the need to placate the fears of the wolf's mother, but because he did not like the fact that she doubted the excellence of his plan. He stated confidently, "There is nothing to be feared. All your 'daughter' will be able to do is lick his lips as he watches the forbidden fruits around him and curse his luck."

"What about Inuyasha? I'm afraid he won't take this situation well." Izayoi's stress was apparent in her tone. No matter how much she doted on her son and tried to raise him like a gentleman, the poor woman had suffered due to her only son's escapades.

Inutaisho raised his hand to his shoulder to cover his mate's smaller one. "He definitely won't like looking like a girl and having to act like one…" Turning his head the mighty dog demon placed a small kiss on her delicate fingers and continued, "…considering how he's so keen on showing that he's a man by beating the shit out of anyone who crosses his path."

With a bone chilling smile on his lips, Sesshoumaru interjected the conversation. "Don't worry about him. I'm sure he'll find other things to occupy his mind soon enough." _His roommate should see to that…_

Izayoi nodded her head distractedly—luckily not catching onto the innuendo in his words for he didn't want to explain himself just yet—and murmured, "I just hope that he learns some manners while he's there…"

Sesshoumaru snorted at that. _That baka learning manners? Not in a million years…_

That little sound he made brought Izayoi's attention to him. With a small smile on her lips and a mischievous glint in her dark grey eyes, she asked, "So… Tell me, Sesshoumaru. What do our 'daughters' look like?"

Sesshoumaru, who had been walking towards the glass wall, stopped in his tracks to glance at his step-mother with barely hidden amusement in his eyes and actually let a genuine smile curve his lips upward before stating, "Pretty."

Laughter bombarded his ears as he turned his back to the other occupants of the room. His idiot of a brother and that moronic wolf had kept him really busy the past two days. Thankfully, Sesshoumaru was more than capable of solving any problem the duo would throw in his way. If only he could solve his own problems as easily…

While he watched the small shadow of a lone cloud travel past downtown Tokyo, his eyes caught the reflection of his father stealing a kiss from his mate's cheek as she leaned over his shoulder to grab her cell phone from his desk. He couldn't help but marvel about how the elder dog demon's tough exterior vanished when it came to his mate. But then again, hadn't Sesshoumaru acted just like his father when he had finally found someone to cherish? _Yes, I did. _He had done and given everything to keep her by his side, only to lose her in the end. He could feel his bottled up emotions threatening to overwhelm him as he let his gaze focus back on the large city under his feet, and for the millionth time in the last two years, he wondered… _Where are you now, Rin?_

* * *

Sunlight shimmered through the leaves of the ancient maples at the 'Shikon All Girls Boarding School'—casting dappled shade on the carefully manicured greenery. The school grounds were neat, with pebbled pathways, towering maple trees and koi ponds with bamboo enclosures. The afternoon classes were out and all of the girls were decked out in their sailor school uniforms. Each girl wore a short green skirt, a white blouse with a red necktie and Mary Jane loafers with long white socks.

Two new female students stepped out of a black four-door sedan and scanned the premises. The new girls looked completely out of place since they were not wearing a school uniform and instead were sporting very casual jeans and t-shirts.

The teenaged girls followed an elderly woman in a business suit who had gray hair and an odd eye patch. One of the girls with long silver hair fell behind the trio. She first tugged at the bracelet that encircled her wrist and then the most unfeminine expletives rose from her pretty lips. Once she was done cursing she stooped to pick up a smooth flat rock. The girl then threw the rock and it skipped across a still koi pond. The rock skidded across the water before gravity finally pulled it into the deep blackness with a 'plop'. With a growl the teenage girl crossed her arms in front of her chest. This had the affect of pushing up her ample cleavage. Her white dog-like ears twitched and her warm golden eyes were brooding. Her tan female companion sporting a long, swishing ebony ponytail approached and whistled.

"Wooeee, Shaya. You look hot with that tight black t-shirt on," beamed Kori. The young woman with dark ebony hair and baggy jeans moved toward the first girl. Without even a pause she swiped her hand across Shaya's ample cleavage to only touch air.

"Cut it out, you sack of shit!" yelled Shaya in a very feminine voice. Her amber eyes were blazing. "Because you fucked Kagura; now we're fucked!"

"Hey, calm down buddy! Think of the possibilities," murmured the attractive young woman with cerulean blue eyes. Kori grabbed Shaya by the shoulder and turned her to look at the campus of girls that were walking around. Kori's voice lowered to a whisper as she gestured to the female student body all around them. "Tomorrow I'll be hanging out in the girl's locker room. I always wanted to get into one of them. Then I'll go into the communal showers during the day. Can you imagine how many naked chicks we'll be able to check out? Come on, man! This will be great!"

Shaya glowered at Kori in a grimace that did not seem very feminine. She spoke quickly and in a low voice. "They'll think you're a pervert or," Shaya raised a perfectly sculptured black eyebrow, "…a lesbian."

Kori scoffed and waved 'her' manicured hand at Shaya. "They'll just think I'm one of the girls. And hey…" Kori stopped to look at her reflection in the still pond waters. "Hey, I'm hot!" exclaimed the girl as she turned around in her baggy jeans and arched her back to accentuate her breasts that stretched the front of the thin white cotton shirt.

Shaya looked aghast at Kori. Inuyasha would normally be the first to admit that Kori did look very attractive. But it was his male 'buddy' under that concealment spell. The thought that the friend he had 'raised hell' with was a sexy chick made him feel sick. "Don't ever say that again," mumbled Shaya. She shoved away from her 'buddy' and shuddered in revulsion.

Kori simply scoffed at Shaya and then turned to admire the female physique that was reflected in the pond. For a few seconds Kori had a pleased smile on her face before a look of worry overcame her. As slyly as she could Kori moved her hand to her crotch and seemed to be adjusting her panties.

"Wheeh," said Kori with relief. "Little Kouga is still there. The spell is so realistic I was worried."

Shaya rolled her eyes at Kori and saw her friend turn around to leave the pond. While no one was looking, Shaya surreptitiously touched 'herself' to make sure that 'Little Tessiaga' was still fully intact. He sighed in relief and then walked forward boldly.

"Girls!" yelled Ms. Kaede. "Shaya and Kori, come here and stop dawdling. I need to get you settled before dinner."

"Coming," yelled Shaya and she winced at the sound of her own voice.

"Hell, yeah. I'll be coming every day here," said Kori with as much huskiness as her estrogen-laced voice could manage.

"You wish, wolf-shit," bantered Shaya.

"You're just jealous because you aren't getting any, mutt-face," whispered Kori with a wicked wolf-like grin. "But here at this all girl's school. Man, I'll be banging a new girl every day."

"Only if you can find yourself a lesbian. Haven't you forgotten what you look like?" muttered Shaya in response.

Kori's wolf-like grin faded into a frown as she remembered 'her' figure reflected in the pond. However, after a moment of thought Kori straightened her back and walked forward with a swagger that looked very odd coming from a teenage girl. "It won't stop me. Nothing has ever stopped me," smirked Kori.

"In your dreams buddy," heckled Shaya.

"5000 Yen on it, 'Sha-yah'," drawled out Kori.

"You and whose money, 'Bim-bo'?" answered Shaya.

"I'll get the cash. Is it a bet?"

Shaya rolled her eyes. "Sure wolf-shit, it's a bet!" answered the silver haired girl with cool disdain.

Ms. Kaede coughed. "I hope I didn't hear what I thought you said," remarked the headmistress. "I do not tolerate cussing or unruly behavior at my school. Considering your prestigious families, I would imagine you would be wise to show proper decorum at all times." Kaede looked at them both meaningfully and then took them toward a long rectangular three story gray building. They walked right up to the front sliding glass door which had, "Musashi Girl's Dormitory, Shikon Boarding School" emblazoned above the glass.

The trio paused at the entryway to take off their shoes. The headmistress pointed out the plastic guest slippers to the girls and motioned for them to leave their shoes at the cubbies near the door.

Once that had been done the headmistress walked purposefully into the student lodging and paused before the front desk. "Mistress Tsubaki. I wanted to introduce you to our new transfer students. This is Takahashi, Shaya and this is Ookami, Kori." Kaede eyed the two girls with a menacing look on her features. Both Kori and Shaya were looking around the dormitory ignoring the exchange in front of them and gawking at the girls who were walking around. Some of the girls were only dressed in a bathrobe and some girls were dressed in even less. The old woman then slapped Shaya and Kori on their backs. "I expect you to show proper manners and to behave like cultured women. You will bow when introduced! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!"

The two newcomers grimaced before making a perfunctory bow that wasn't nearly as low as Kaede would have liked. The headmistress continued. "This is your Dorm-Mom, Mistress Tsubaki. You will listen to her instructions and follow them to the letter." Kaede turned to the woman with gray eyes and long streaming white hair that met at a widow's peak.

Tsubaki continued in an authoritarian tone, "Yes, curfew is at 11PM. All of our girls must be within the dormitory by then or they will be locked out. We have communal dining and bathing areas," Tsubaki paused. "And further, I think it goes without saying—but no men are allowed in the building." Neither Kaede nor Tsubaki noticed Kori's perverted grin when she mentioned the rules.

Kori smirked at Shaya. "Oh, I think I'm going to enjoy my stay here. Thank you so much Miss Tsubaki," intoned Kori as she winked flirtatiously at the dorm-mom.

"That will be Dorm-Mom! Not Miss Tsubaki to you, child!" continued Tsubaki. "Now here are your room keys." The older woman handed the teenage girls two plastic cards that looked like credit cards. On one side of the plastic card was 'Shikon Boarding School #224' in hot pink letters. On the other side was a magnetic stripe. "You two girls will be on the second floor in room 224."

Shaya almost breathed a sigh of relief. He would be sharing a room with his buddy, so at least he could relax while he was in his dorm room.

"Come along then, girls," responded Kaede smartly. "It's time to get you settled and to meet your roommates."

"Roommates?" squeaked Shaya in her high-pitched voice.

"Yes, roommates," answered the headmistress.

"But I thought…you said that Kog…Kori and I will be sharing the same room," muttered Shaya.

"Ah, you will be, but our dorm rooms have four girls per apartment and two bedrooms. I think the girls have already taken one bedroom each. So you will most likely be split up. But you won't be too far away from your girlfriend, Shaya."

Shaya grimaced at the mention of Kori being his girlfriend. "Kori's not my girlfriend," snapped Shaya as she nearly growled.

"Oh," said Kaede in surprise. "I was under the impression that you were friends."

Shaya almost spurted out an answer when Kori put an arm in front of her. "She meant that we know each other, but we're not that close headmistress," answered Kori with the charm he usually used only with the ladies he was trying to seduce.

Kaede only looked at the two girls with confusion before she stopped before a door. "Ah ha, here it is!" the headmistress explained as they stopped before a white door with the pink numbers 224 emblazoned on the front. "Use your keys to get inside girls," the headmistress commanded.

Kori just grinned greedily as she took the plastic card out of her jean pocket and jammed it into the card reader. The light above the door handle clicked and changed from red to green. Kori smiled as she opened the door and attempted to sniff the air inside.

Both of the demons found the scents coming from the apartment to be appealing. Somewhere in the apartment the combined lingering fragrance of two females was drawn to their senses—a human female and a wolf demoness. The aroma of cherry blossoms, jasmine and the spicy scent of cinnamon wafted through the air.

"Oh, God," murmured Shaya. _What the hell!?_

Kori raised an eyebrow as she looked at her buddy. "What's wrong Ya…I mean Shaya?"

Shaya just shook her head and took a step back, her face turned white as if she had just seen a ghost. _It can't be! There's no way that it can be her!_

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat at the sight from the doorway on the other side of the room. A long slender leg covered in only a long white sock—leaving a firm, creamy thigh to everyone's gaze—came into view. Soon, the leg was followed by its twin and where the two pillars of heaven united a scandalously short green skirt covered the hidden treasure. After lingering on the perfectly shaped hips, his gaze traveled higher to her tiny waist only to stop once more on her pert breasts pushing against her white blouse. At last he swallowed to look at her face with her warm, chocolate eyes, dark fluttering eyelashes, and maddeningly provocative lips. Long flowing raven tresses framed her beautiful face and fell to the middle of her back.

He watched with his mouth agape, his eyes staring in disbelief at the sight in front of him. The girl bowed low to her headmistress, her melodic voice caressing his ears as she stated, "Headmistress Kaede!" The girl then stood gracefully before bowing to Shaya and Kori, a soft smile playing on the corners of her rosy lips.

Shaya just stared at the girl she knew as Kagome. _How long has it been since I last saw her and smelled her scent?_ It had been two years. Two long years since Rin had broken up with Sesshoumaru and two years since he had seen Rin's younger sister, Kagome.

He took a deep breath through his nose and mouth, marveling at how wonderful and gentle her scent was and how the cherry blossom aroma that was on her skin drifted into his mouth. He could taste her aroma on his lips and he licked them in response. Inuyasha looked at her from head to toe. It had been a good two years since he had seen her last and she had grown taller and her body's sweet curves had become even shapelier. She must have been 15-years-old the last time he had seen her. She was a pretty teenager then, but now she was a woman.

Inuyasha's blood pulsed through his veins. All he could gasp were shallow breaths and his rapid pulse made it hard for him to think. Kagome always did that to him. She made him so unbalanced that he couldn't even get a word out of his mouth. _Oh fuck! Just like I used to be around her! A stupid, stuttering imbecile! I'm so fucked!_

Before either the headmistress or the girls could respond, another red haired girl walked down the hallway. She was considerably less cheerful and polite than Kagome.

"Hey Kags, did you meet our new roomies?" said the redhead with thick, long hair and emerald green eyes that looked at the newcomers lazily. She was chewing something in her mouth and then blew a big pink bubble. Unlike Kagome, she wasn't wearing her school uniform. The wolf girl wore ripped jeans, a black t-shirt with a huge gray wolf snarling across the top and a black leather choker with rounded silver spikes.

"Ahem!" murmured the headmistress.

The wolf demoness popped the bubble. "Oh yeah, right, headmistress," muttered Ayame as she bowed curtly to the group in front of her.

Kaede stopped and pointed at the newcomers. "Ladies, this is Takahashi, Shaya and this is Ookami, Kori." Kaede had to slap the two girls on their backs. "This is where you bow," she hissed.

Shaya and Kori bowed as their backs were thrust forward by Kaede's quick jab to their spines.

"Now, this is Higurashi, Kagome and Kita, Ayame," said Kaede by way of introductions. Each girl bent their head forward slightly when they were introduced. The headmistress turned to Kagome and Ayame. "Girls, I will need your help in showing the two new students around."

"Yes, headmistress," answered the girls dutifully. Kori couldn't help but to notice that Ayame's voice wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Kagome's.

"Kagome, I would like you to be Shaya's escort until she gets used to the campus. Please sign her up for classes tomorrow, show her the school grounds, teach her the rules and show her how to put on her school uniform. And remember Kagome, her behavior will reflect upon you."

"Yes, Headmistress Kaede," responded Kagome as she beamed a brilliant smile in Shaya's direction.

"And you Ayame. Stop blowing bubbles and pay attention. You are to do the same with Kori. Take her to sign up for classes and show her around the campus. These new girls will be your responsibility for the next week. Understood?!"

"Yes, headmistress Kaede!" the two girls responded in unison. Kagome's voice was quicker and more abrupt. Ayame's voice was layered on top of it and came out as a lazy drawl.

Kagome walked right up to Shaya, her small skirt swishing as her hips swayed. Shaya sucked in a shaky breath and her eyes widened as Kagome got even closer to her body.

As Shaya looked down she couldn't help but notice the creamy skin of Kagome's thighs that were exposed as she walked or the way her lingering fragrance of cherry blossoms warmed the air around her. Inuyasha had to fight the urge to bury his nose in her hair to get a better sniff of her intoxicating aroma.

Kagome smiled as she put her hand through Shaya's arm and pulled her to a bedroom down the hallway. "This is the bathing room and sink. Here is the water closet. Here is our fridge and microwave, our hall closet and here is our bedroom," said Kagome with a flourish as she pulled a door open.

Inuyasha didn't know how to take her words at first. He was sharing a bedroom with Kagome? Did that mean he was sleeping in her bed? Shaya's eyes widened in anticipation and she licked her lips. However, the hanyou's elation was quickly diminished once she saw two small futons that were folded up on opposite sides of the wall—rather than the single bed she had wanted to see. _Damn. Two futons! Gods, you hate me!_

The room was simple and spartan with tatami straw mats on the floor. There was a single desk on both sides, a closet with a mirror, a small dresser and a space for her futon to be laid down when she was sleeping.

"Um, Shaya. Are you related to Takahashi, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as her cheeks started to flush red. Shaya only nodded, unable to speak. "Oh, I knew that he had an older brother, Sesshoumaru. You see my older sister, Rin, dated Sesshoumaru once. I just never knew that they had a sister." Kagome smiled and looked up at Shaya. "You look, just like him?"

"H—hh—hh-ha-ha-him?" Shaya stammered. _Oh God, damn. I'm stuttering again. Just like I used to do around her! Fuck! I'm acting like an idiot again! _

"Yes, your brother, Inuyasha. You're a female version of him. You both have gorgeous, long silver hair and these cute ears," said Kagome as she looked up at Shaya dreamily. "Ummm, can I touch them?" asked Kagome.

"Too-too-Tttttttooouuuch Wa-wa-wa-what?" asked Shaya as she looked down on Kagome with confusion.

"Your ears," answered Kagome with a far away look in her eyes.

Shaya decided to nod, rather than to talk. She bent her head forward so that Kagome wouldn't have to stretch to reach them. Inuyasha couldn't help but to emit a very feminine sigh as the smaller girl gingerly touched and stroked the furry appendages.

Kagome blushed and then pulled her hands away much to Shaya's dismay. "I'm so sorry," said Kagome as she bit her lip. This only caused Inuyasha to stare at her lips and wonder what it would be like to press his mouth up against them. "I didn't mean to be so forward. It's just…," Kagome seemed to have trouble speaking and swiveled in her skirt. Inuyasha noticed the fabric swirling around her hips and exposing more of her thighs to his roaming eyes.

Shaya decided not to speak and only looked down on her with a dumbfounded expression.

"It's just—I always wanted to touch Inuyasha's ears." Kagome giggled while Shaya looked at her in astonishment. Kagome continued. "But he would never let me. He was always so angry with me," observed Kagome as she sighed and twisted her hair as she looked away from Shaya.

Inuyasha didn't want to speak to Kagome if he could help it, but he was too curious to let the matter hang. "Ah-ah-ah-angry?" asked Shaya.

Kagome twirled her hair in her fingers again and swiveled her hips again in a nervous manner. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that he always treated me like I was an annoyance. He hated me."

Inuyasha was taken aback realizing how Kagome must have interpreted his rather harsh behavior towards her. He hated the way he stammered in front of her. It never happened with anyone else. It made him impatient and it made him mad! He would get so angry when she showed up because he couldn't control the way he spoke around her, and he ended up sounding like an idiot. He dreaded every encounter he had with her and at the same time loved to see her and to breathe in her gentle scent. It was torture to see her and to not be able to truly express himself. He had to wonder what was worse, stuttering in front of her as a boy or the situation now, stuttering in front of her as a girl. _Well, at least I'm not under any pressure to impress her as a girl._

Kagome clapped her hands together. "So that's it! I won't think about your brother anymore. No, I won't think about his pretty golden eyes or his cute little ears that look so adorable when they twitch."

Inuyasha felt the incredible urge to twitch his dog-like ears then and there just to get a reaction out of Kagome. Shaya let her ears flutter from side to side.

Kagome stared at her ears and beamed a brilliant smile. She seemed to be resisting the urge to pet Shaya's ears again and instead hooked her arms around her new roommate's. "I need to show you the cafeteria. I'm sure that you must be hungry," stated Kagome.

Shaya only nodded as a pink tinge graced her cheeks when the girl got so close to her. The inu hanyou breathed in Kagome's scent again and sighed as she let the girl pull her out of the dorm room. Inuyasha thought that he should be worrying about his buddy, but decided that his wolf demon friend could take care of himself.

Kagome was the picture of congeniality as she introduced Shaya to the girls in the dormitory and continued to mention Shaya's cute brother, Inuyasha—despite the girl's earlier promise to not think about him. It did something really funny to Inuyasha's insides to hear Kagome talk about him without knowing that he was even there. What made him even happier was that she was describing Inuyasha alternating as cute, adorable or hot. He really didn't like to be called 'cute or adorable', but if it was Kagome who was describing him, he could live with it. He could also definitely live with being called 'hot'. His male ego, which had recently taken such a beating, swelled again.

Shaya was amazed to see the many girls he ran into were entranced by her hair and told her how lucky she was to have such long, silvery, silky locks. Inuyasha had to constantly grab his hair away from the touchy-feely girls who stroked his hair with abandon.

Once the introductions were done they made their way to a small dormitory cafeteria. Shaya was in luck tonight. The soup of the day was fresh ramen.

"Oh, you like that stuff?" asked Kagome with a smile.

Shaya could only nod as she filled up three bowls of ramen.

"Your brother liked ramen, too," said Kagome as she beamed at the tall hanyou girl beside her.

_What? She remembers?_ Shaya looked perplexed and Kagome continued.

"Oh, that was all he ever ate. You know that right?" Kagome shoved her shoulders up against Shaya's playfully. "He is your brother…"

"Ra-ra-runs in in da da fa-fa-fam-family," answered Shaya. Inuyasha was genuinely touched that Kagome remembered that small detail about himself. _How much more does she remember?_

Kagome smiled and lead her to the seating area. Shaya noticed a small kitchenette that some of the girls were using.

Kagome waved her chopsticks in the air to point at the girls who were preparing their own meals. "Oh, you can cook your own meals here, too," said Kagome to the unspoken question. "Do you cook Shaya?"

Shaya only shook her head in the negative. _Unless you include instant ramen... _Inuyasha allowed Kagome to take over their conversation. She was filling Shaya in on the details of campus life and what she should be expecting tomorrow on her first day of classes.

As Kagome continued to talk, Shaya noticed that Kagome had cute dimples that formed at the edges of her mouth when she smiled and that whenever she said something that bothered her she would bite her lower lip. Time passed quickly while they ate dinner together and for the first time since the concealment spell was placed on him, Inuyasha felt at peace. He was sitting with the girl that had driven him crazy in the past—the girl he had been wholeheartedly attracted to. Now for the first time he was sitting next to her and simply enjoying her company. Unfortunately, she didn't know that he was really a guy. For some bizarre reason he didn't seem bothered by the concealment spell right now. Perhaps this was an opportunity to get to know Kagome. Then when he could finally get the cursed bracelet off, he could try things over with Kagome again. That is if he could keep from stuttering around her.

After another round of exhausting introductions and girls who couldn't keep their hands off of his hair—Kagome lead Shaya back to their dorm room. Inuyasha was starting to like the way she hooked her arm with his. _It almost feels like a date._ He blushed as he thought.

Soon they were back in their dorm room and Kagome got out a pink towel and started to head out the door. "I'm taking a shower, Shaya. After I'm done we need to get to bed! We need to wake up extra early tomorrow morning if I'm going to get you registered for your classes," she chirped as she sashayed down the hallway.

Shaya peered out the door into the hallway to take in one final glimpse of her swaying hips and her long creamy legs. Then Shaya frowned as she closed the dorm door and fell into the chair at her desk.

_I'm rooming with her?_ That was all he could think over and over in his mind as he pulled out his futon and bedding. Then when curiosity got the best of him, he pulled open the door to his closet. Sesshoumaru had told him that his dorm room would already be packed with his clothes. He was expecting his usual attire of jeans, t-shirts, bandanas and athletic shoes. He was horrified to see rows and rows of short green skirts, white blouses with red ties and Mary Jane shoes. "What the fuck!?" Shaya hollered loud enough for his roommates to hear across the hall. He pulled at the clothes in the closet and found a few pairs of jeans, some t-shirts, sweaters and a few jackets. But everything had a feminine cut to them and many of the items were pink! "You just think this is so funny, don't you? Sesshoumaru, you bastard!" yelled Shaya as she slammed the closet close. She was breathing heavily in frustration as she turned around to look at her chest of drawers.

Inuyasha grimaced as he pulled back the top drawer to reveal some rather large sized satin and lace underwear. He wouldn't have minded if these undergarments were on a girl, but there was no way in hell he was going to wear them. He wore men's white cotton briefs! There was no way he would be caught dead in spandex, lace and satin!

Shaya fumed as she took off her black t-shirt and jeans and grabbed a large t-shirt and some oversized red sweats that she found buried in her bottom drawer. As he put on the new clothes he was amazed to see that the clothes which looked far too large for Shaya to be wearing morphed into something much smaller and much more tight fitting when he looked at himself in the mirror. His baggy shirt and loose sweats accentuated Shaya's every feminine curve in the reflection.

Shaya couldn't help but look on in horror at her reflection as she touched her hard pectorals. The image in front of him made it look like she was cupping her breasts. "Oh Gods, just shoot me now!" he muttered to himself.

While he was gazing dumbfounded at his own image Kagome came waltzing back into the room. He couldn't help but to breathe in deeply as she passed on by—her skin smelled clean and sweet. He paused to glance in her direction to see her long ebony hair that was arranged in wet ringlets around her heart shaped face. Shaya instantly blanched when he noticed that _all_ she was wearing was a single fluffy pink towel.

"Hi, Shaya," greeted Kagome as she walked into the room. Kagome threw her wet towel off, revealing soft creamy moist skin, full breasts, rosy-brown nipples and a dark triangular patch at the junction of her thighs. Kagome turned nonchalantly to pull open her dresser drawers.

Inuyasha's mouth grew very dry as he saw a very wet and naked Kagome bending over and presenting her backside to him. Tiny droplets of water were dripping off her form and pooling around the dip in her lower back before cascading down to a wet black patch at the junction of her thighs. He couldn't help but to notice how her dark triangle was viewable even as she bent over and presented her ass so nicely for viewing.

Shaya gripped the chair she was sitting on with both hands. Her claws scraped against the wood of the chair holding her in place. Inuyasha tried to slow his breathing as he drank in the view that every male dog demon dreamed of—a bitch submitting to him and presenting her nude backside for rutting.

He had to fight his baser instincts that were calling to him to draw her nude body against his. His gut clenched in desire and he felt a familiar pooling of heat in his groin. He shifted in his seat and tried to adjust himself. Her behavior was taunting him. Inuyasha tried to close his eyes to the delicious sight in front of him. He really shouldn't be staring—but he couldn't look away either.

Kagome pulled out a shiny pink panty and bra. She then stood up and shimmied into her panties. Once she snapped the elastic in place she placed her satiny pink bra around her torso with the clasp in front. Inuyasha gazed at the image of pink satin surrounding round breasts with darkened centers. Once she hooked it close she turned the bra around so that the snaps were in the back. Then she pulled one strap and then the other in place. Kagome turned to view her figure in the full-length mirror that was on one side of her closet. She placed a hand on either side of her supple, firm ass. "Do you think I need to loose some weight Shaya? My butt is getting too big," the girl complained as she twisted her head to view her rounded bottom.

"La-la-la-loo-looks fa-fa-fa-fine," muttered Shaya as she stared at Kagome wide-eyed, her own butt straining with the need to jump on the vixen who was unconsciously taunting her.

Oblivious to her new roommate's discomfort, Kagome smiled up at her and giggled. "You know just what to say Shaya!" said Kagome happily. "We're going to be great friends! I just know it!"

Kagome then turned to dig into her dresser drawers again and pulled out an oversized red and white shirt that said 'Big Dog' on it. She pulled it over her head and then looked at her sleeping area and sighed as she bent down to pull her futon in place. Shaya looked as creamy thighs and long legs peeped out from under her oversized t-shirt as she made her bed.

Once Kagome had laid down her bedding, she climbed under her covers and turned to grin at Shaya. "I'm so happy to have a roommate that I can talk to at night," murmured Kagome happily. "Oh, and could you turn out the light when you go to bed, Shaya?"

Shaya only nodded as she crossed the room and turned out the light. Inuyasha crawled under his own bedcovers and tried to sleep. However, the image of Kagome's nakedness was burned into his retinas. Even with his eyes closed he could see her soft, wet naked body and her pert breasts. He remembered the way she had presented her nude backside to him and his groin pulsed with want and need. _Oh Gods, kill me now!_ It took another hour of tossing and turning before he gave in. Inuyasha stroked his erect shaft to give himself some form of release. As he wiped the hot creamy wetness from his lower half he finally found the stirrings of passion subside enough so that he could fall asleep.

Kagome slept beside him, blissfully unaware of Inuyasha's nocturnal activities.

End Chapter 2

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: 5000 Yen is about 50 USD._

_#2: Dormitory rooms tend to use futons to sleep on. During the day futons are folded up and put in the closet. They are usually only brought out at night._

_#3: Japanese dormitories usually do not have cafeterias and instead have communal kitchens that students can use to prepare their own food._

_#4: Gambling is illegal in Japan. Japanese citizens who want to gamble frequently take boat cruises for the night into international waters just so that they can gamble. If Naraku had a gambling casino in Tokyo, he would probably have Yakuza ties._


	3. First Day of Classes

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Authors' Note:**

_All right, we know that you have been waiting for weeks.  
So we're giving you a super-long chapter! Enjoy!_

_This chapter has strong language and some sexual situations.  
Please do not read if that offends you._

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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: _

_Hedanicree and Blackdeathmessenger!_

* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~*

"Talking"

_Thinking_

**Chapter 3: First Day of Classes**

_Co-authored by talented and brilliant _**Ai Kisugi**

Light crept in to the small dorm room as its two occupants slept on their futons, blissfully unaware of the start of the new day. On one futon, long locks of raven hair peeked out of the confines of the duvet, which covered the rest of the huddled form of a petite girl. On the other side of the room, shiny silver tresses sprawled upon delicate shoulders that narrowed down to a finely sculptured back and ended with a slim waist that widened significantly to form two delicious curves that would make any straight guy salivate at the sight of them. The enchanting figure of a goddess stirred in her sleep, hugging her pillow tightly with her dainty arms. Her cherry lips moved in a most inviting manner, mumbling, "'Gome."

The relative silence of the room was broken sharply by the insistent ringing of an alarm clock, and two dog-like ears on the goddess' head twitched irritably. Rolling onto his back, Inuyasha groaned miserably. He had a hard time sleeping last night. He was so tired and that damned alarm clock kept ringing with that maddening sound. Besides, he had been having such a nice dream. Wanting to go back to the awaiting arms of the raven-haired girl in his dreams, he tried to bat at the offending object blindly. As he reached for it, he heard it stop.

Taking a deep breath, he smelled something nice in the room. He grabbed the corners of his blanket and rested back against the warmth of his futon. He sniffed the air again. It was a wonderful feminine scent that he hadn't smelled in a long time. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn't place it. He inhaled, savoring the aroma, and enjoyed the way it danced across his senses. It was so lovely; there really wasn't any other way to describe it. It smelled like…_Kagome._

His mind drifted to those days in the past when he would do everything he could to get close to Kagome and her maddeningly wonderful aroma. He was a dog demon, and if there was something he couldn't resist — it was her scent. Something about her fragrance pulled him to her and made him feel helpless. But it was just a dream wasn't it? There was no way that Kagome could be here with him. When Sesshoumaru and Rin had broken up, he had given up all hope of seeing or smelling her again.

His nose twitched. The scent still lingered. Then, a beautiful feminine sigh erupted from across the room.

His golden eyes widened, and he sat up quickly on his futon to take in his surroundings. _Dorm room…futon… _Inuyasha turned his head to see his dream vixen stretching her arms above her head across the room from him. As she yawned, her back arched — pushing her perky, full breasts against the cotton of her nightshirt. _Well, I'll be damned…_

Tearing his eyes from the angel of heaven with difficulty, Inuyasha then looked down in horror to see the same round bouncy objects on his chest. He pulled up his hands and saw delicate feminine digits painted with pearly, pink nail polish. _Oh Gods! No! This is a dream, it's…_

He pressed his lovely long fingers against his chest and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt hardness and not the giving softness of a female. His mind quickly reeled as he remembered the events of the past 48 hours. _My bastard brother! He made me wear a bracelet that made me look and smell like a girl. And then I ended up with Kagome…as my roommate …_

Inuyasha glanced across the room at his long-time crush. Kagome turned to look at him with sleepy eyes at first. _Could she look any more beautiful?_ Then, her eyes cleared, and she beamed a smile at him.

"It's time to get up and at 'em," chirped Kagome with sunshine in her eyes.

His mouth hanging slightly, Inuyasha watched silently as she gracefully sat up, the remnants of her smile still lingering on her lips. _It should be illegal to be so damned happy this early in the morning_.

Kagome pulled her legs over the edge of the futon's platform, exposing their silky lengths to Shaya's gaze. She grinned at her roommate and then got up to pull her uniform out of her closet. She picked out a small green mini-skirt, a white blouse with a red necktie and placed them on her bed. Then she searched through her chest of drawers until she pulled out some white socks.

When Kagome was satisfied with her choices, she tugged off her large red and white shirt to expose most of her creamy skin to Inuyasha. He swallowed hard as he saw her bend over her bed. Her firm rear end was covered in a pink satin panty. Suddenly, he forgot about his predicament and could only stare at the tempting image she unwittingly presented. Inuyasha couldn't stop but to think how easily his claws could cut her panties off of her. Just a slight flick of his claws over those thin straps that held the little garment together, and the gates of heaven would be wide open to his exploration. Of course, this train of thought led to images of what he could do to her after removing her panties … and that was just what he needed to make his morning erection rather painful. A single bead of sweat rolled down his temple, and he averted his gaze with great difficulty.

Oblivious to her roommate's discomfort, Kagome picked up a small green skirt that she unzipped and stepped into. As if his eyes were drawn to the dressing girl with an unseen magnet, Inuyasha looked at her bare back, which was lean and without a blemish. He wondered what it would be like to run his tongue down her spine and kiss her neck. Was it just him, or was it too hot in the room? So hot that he had to lick his rapidly drying lips several times. He was so lost in his fantasy world that he didn't even notice that she was fully dressed and saying something to him.

"Wha …what?" mumbled Shaya in a daze as 'she' finally made eye contact with Kagome.

"You need to get dressed, Shaya. I'm supposed to help you get into your uniform today," answered Kagome with a concerned look on her face. Kagome moved closer to Shaya and put her hand on the hanyou's forehead. "You look a little dizzy. Are you all right? Are you sick, Shaya?" she questioned.

Shaya's eyes widened like saucers. After the tempting images that had been roving across his mind, he did feel a little dizzy and he knew that he wasn't sick.

Kagome paused as she turned her hand over on his forehead. She touched his cheek as well. "Your forehead doesn't seem too warm. I think you're OK. Time to get dressed, Shaya!" commanded Kagome in a cheerful tone.

"Dra…dra…dressed?" stammered Shaya as Kagome pulled her out of bed.

"Yes, silly. You need to get your school uniform on. There's no time to waste and I need to get you registered for your classes!" she responded in a forceful manner.

After his new roommate had made sure that 'she' was out of bed, Kagome picked Shaya's uniform from the closet. Shaya's amber eyes morphed into saucers as she looked at the green mini-skirt and delicate cotton blouse. "Na … no … wa … way," Shaya tried to say as Kagome tugged on 'her' large white t-shirt. Inuyasha supposed that he should have been fighting the girl, but he was a little too shocked over Kagome's actions.

"Shaya!" Kagome exclaimed with a hitch in her breath.

Inuyasha grimaced and wondered briefly if the spell was not working. He looked down in horror to see two very large breasts bouncing invitingly on his body. _Oh Gods! I feel sick!_

"You're not wearing a bra! Your back has got to be aching! I'll get you a bra right away!" Kagome got into the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out two bras—a lacey pink one and a white athletic bra. Inuyasha looked in revulsion as the girl presented them to her.

"What?!" Kagome asked. "You need some form of support, Shaya. I can't believe that you slept without one."

_What the hell! There's no fucking way I'm wearing those!_ Grimacing, Shaya batted the bras away. As speechless as she was at the sight of the offending garments, she managed to mutter, "Na … na … no."

The girl's brown eyes widened as she spoke, "But girl, you'll be jiggling all day long! How will you be able to handle PE?"

Shaya glared at Kagome. His roommate pursed her lips and quickly yanked the sports bra over the hanyou's head.

"That's better!" said the miko while the half demon sputtered. "Now for the …" Without waiting a second longer Inuyasha felt the white blouse crest over his head. Then the blouse was pulled down. "Come on, Shaya," said Kagome with a smile. "Help me pull your arms through."

Inuyasha was seriously starting to get pissed. Kagome had just forced a bra and a blouse on him, and now she was placing the mini-skirt on the bed next to him._ There is no fucking way that I'll be caught wearing a skirt. No. Goddamned. Way._

His rebellious thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Kagome jerked his red sweats down. Blood rushed to his cheeks — as well as other parts of his body — at the sight of his crush kneeling before him, the warmth of her breath fanning over his thighs. Entranced, he vaguely registered his hand traveling towards the girl's raven tresses. Abruptly, he was brought back to reality with a gasp from those luscious lips he had only dreamed of devouring in his wildest dreams. With much effort, he managed to concentrate on her face only to be met with her startled expression.

He knew that he had woken up with a hard on. He usually did, but having her in the room and smelling her just made it a near certainty. _Had she seen it? Am I exposed?_

Then, Kagome started to giggle and he looked at her incredulously. Wondering what could make the girl switch from being startled to laughing, he looked down to see that the spell _did_ remove any trace of his hardened length from view, but it did _not_ remove his white male briefs.

Suddenly he felt his cheeks burn. Perhaps he shouldn't have been embarrassed. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Kagome completely naked last night. She was only looking at his underwear. But why was she trying to suppress her mirth?

"Oh God, Shaya. I'm sorry. I didn't know that you wore men's underwear," said Kagome as she responded to his unasked question. Her eyes widened a fraction. "Oh, my! Shaya? Are those your boyfriend's underwear? Did you sleep over at his house or something and had nothing else to wear?"

Inuyasha blanched and pulled back in revulsion. "Da…da…don't ha…have …a…a… ba…ba…boy… boyfra…fra…end," responded Shaya.

"Oh," answered his roommate as if the wind had been taken out of her sails. The miko quickly recovered and smiled at the hanyou again. "You know one of my girlfriends told me that she likes to wear her boyfriend's underwear because it feels more comfortable. Is that it, Shaya?"

The half demon's face was beet red, however she did manage to nod. Kagome tried to stop any more giggles and turned to unzip the green miniskirt. She placed it at the silver-haired girl's feet and looked up at Shaya with the unspoken command to step into them.

"Na ... na ... no," responded the hanyou. _No fucking way!_

"Shaya," responded Kagome soothingly. "You must wear your uniform. Now I understand that it's not as comfortable as a pair of jeans and it can feel drafty. But it is a requirement. You can't step foot into the classroom without your uniform on."

Shaya pulled her arms together across her chest and turned her pretty head with a pout.

Kagome sighed. "Headmistress Kaede will be very upset with me if you don't wear your school uniform, Shaya. You are my responsibility during this first week. So if you get in trouble—I'm getting in trouble. I really don't want to be confined to school grounds for the next two weeks."

At Shaya's questioning look, she explained, "If I get into trouble, I'll lose my right to visit my family on the weekends — not that there's much left of my family, but ..." Sighing, she bent her head down as if to hide her face from her new friend before continuing in a barely audible voice. "My father died two years ago. Not long after his death, my older sister, Rin, disappeared on us." She took a deep breath and held it in for a few seconds before letting it out in a whoosh. She locked her gaze with Shaya's and gave her a sad smile. "I still have my mother and little brother though, and I try to see them as often as I can. They…need me."

Inuyasha was stunned. He had known about her father's death as well as Rin's disappearance. But, damn him, he had never thought how they affected the girl of his dreams. He had been too busy wallowing in self-pity because he wasn't even able to put two words together in Kagome's presence. Inuyasha's self-anger revealed itself whenever he beat the shit out of anything and everything he laid his hands on. It had never occurred to him what she had been going through. If he could, he would take her misery and carry it for her as long as she would allow him. _But wearing a skirt?_

He came out of his musings, hearing the soft sigh that left Kagome's pouty lips — lips that looked too inviting for their own good. He mentally shook his head before he made a fool out of himself — well, more than he already was, considering he was tricked into walking around looking like a girl by his bastard of a brother. He wanted to kiss her so badly…just this once… _No. _That wouldn't be a good thing. She would freak out. As far as she was concerned, he was a girl. If he tried to kiss her, she'd think he was a lesbian. _Nope. No way._

Focusing back on the tempting creature before him, he saw that she still held the green mini-skirt in her hands. She looked away and seemed to be staring out the window before her chocolate eyes turned back to lock onto his honeyed orbs. "I didn't want to tell you this. But it's not just about the two of us being confined to school grounds. Headmistress Kaede is very strict and she does something to the demons that misbehave. Did you see the collar that Ayame was wearing yesterday, Shaya?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened. _A subjugation collar? No …_

His roommate continued, "Headmistress Kaede is a very powerful miko and she has no compunctions about collaring unruly demons. Please, Shaya …? I don't want to see you humiliated like Ayame was."

Kagome pleaded with him and looked up at him with her doe-like eyes. Inuyasha really didn't know how he had been persuaded or when he had stood up and stepped into the short mini-skirt. However, before he knew it Kagome had zipped up his skirt and was helping him to put on his socks.

Inuyasha was still staring at Kagome with a dumbfounded look on his face when Kagome finished pulling up his socks and looked up at him with a beaming smile. "That wasn't too bad. Was it, Shaya?"

Shaya harrumphed, turned her head to the side and crossed her arms in a pout.

Inuyasha made the mistake of looking at himself in the full-length mirror before him. The stunning hanyou girl he saw had long silvery locks, mesmerizing golden eyes, twitching white puppy ears, a beautiful curvaceous figure and long shapely legs. The picture 'she' saw was in sharp contrast to yesterday when 'she' was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Now 'she' was wearing a revealingly short skirt and a feminine blouse that accentuated 'her' womanly curves. Shaya groaned.

"Shaya, you're gorgeous, girl!" said Kagome as she grinned at her. Inuyasha tried to respond, but he could only sputter in utter dismay. Kagome stayed oblivious to Shaya's distress at looking 'gorgeous.' Instead, she seemed to think that Shaya's inherent shyness was due to low self-esteem that needed some boosting. "You have got to wear a skirt more often, Shaya. The guys will be all over you when they see your legs!"

"Wha … what!" exclaimed Shaya in astonishment. _Oh Gods! No! The last thing I need is a guy ogling my legs!_

Kagome didn't seem to realize her roommate's obvious discomfort with the last thing she had said. Without a pause, she dragged Shaya behind her and opened up 'her' dresser drawers. "OK. Let's pack your PE clothes and put away our futons. Then we're getting you registered for classes!"

Inuyasha only staggered to his feet and looked at her in astonishment. He hated the feel of the short cloth against his legs. The skirt rubbed against the hair on his legs, and it was too drafty. Never before had he walked around with the worry that a gust of wind could expose his underwear for everyone to see. _As if I didn't have enough to be embarrassed about! God, I want my jeans!_

Kagome started to pull a pair of tight lycra shorts and a wife beater from his drawers. She was about to shove them into a new red backpack that had been found in his closet. However, Inuyasha would have none of that. Wordlessly, he grabbed the offending garments with a huff and shoved them back into the drawer. Instead, he pulled out some baggy gym clothes and stuffed them into his backpack.

Inuyasha was pissed—really pissed! The girl had made him wear a fucking skirt! It was only his damned sense of honor that made him wear the cursed garment. He didn't want Kagome to end up suffering because of him. He would take on Kaede any day, but he really didn't want Kagome to be hurt in the process.

Inuyasha made the mistake of looking down at Kagome as she rolled up her futon. He watched her short skirt slide up her legs as she bent forward to grab the other end of the thick mattress. Tantalizingly creamy thighs bared themselves to him. He couldn't help but to lick his dry lips as his gaze dropped to her legs and the barest hint of her panties became visible under the shadows of her skirt.

Kagome turned to stare at Shaya. "You know, you need to roll up your futon as well," she admonished.

The rebuke took him out of his reverie and a slight dusting of color touched his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He tried to ignore her presence as he rolled up his own futon, cursing while he worked. _God damned, futon! Fucking school … Fucking Sesshoumaru!_

Once they were both done, Kagome reached for Shaya's hand and dragged 'her' out of the room. Inuyasha only looked down at their joined hands with amazed fascination and he cocked his head as he tried to discern the motivation for it. Kagome seemed oblivious to his puzzlement and led him to the nearly empty cafeteria for breakfast. Inuyasha tried to not stab his nato* with his chopsticks as he ate. He couldn't help but to froth in anger over his situation and his damned brother who put him there.

Once they were done eating, Kagome continued to pull him along after her. She persisted in holding his hand in hers and the very act started to calm him. He knew that this situation was unfair and he hated looking like a fucking girl. But he was there with Kagome, and she was holding his hand. _She is, isn't she?_ She did bare her entire body to him last night. _Didn't she?_

Suddenly for the first time in over 48 hours, a goofy smile erupted over his face. Shaya grinned in pleasure. So he was stuck in school, looking like a pansy girl. But he would get to see Kagome naked almost everyday. _Things aren't quite as horrible as they could be. Right?_

* * *

As the door of the adjacent room shut close, a dark-haired girl with long tanned legs stirred in her sleep. Her eyelids slowly opened to reveal mesmerizing blue eyes foggy with sleep. Grunting in a very unladylike manner, she closed her eyes and turned to lie on her back, desperately trying to go back to sleep. She muttered sleepily, "Five more minutes, Mom. It's too fucking early …"

Receiving no objections from her mother, she sighed in bliss. Her nose twitched catching a feminine scent that wasn't her mom's, and she shot up in bed in panic. _What the fuck?_ Where the hell was he?! He wasn't at home — that was for sure. And that scent … If it was a girl he had fucked the night before, why didn't she smell of him?

Frantically searching his surroundings, Kouga's eyes landed on his new roommate slumbering on another futon, and realization dawned on the confused wolf demon. _Right… The boarding school…_

After that Kaede woman left them in the hands of their roommates, he had watched that hot babe, Kagome, drag Inuyasha away. He had turned to eye his own companion and felt his spirits dampen for the first time since they had arrived at this heaven. Of all the girls he had seen out there, he had to be matched with a tomboy? He appreciated all forms of females, but this one was just not his type. Surely, the wolf demoness smelt good enough to eat, not to mention she looked sexy despite her poor choice of fashion. However, everything about her screamed dominance, and that was the only thing that turned him off — besides the woman being butt ugly. He was a wolf demon and a proud one at that. He liked his bitches submissive, dammit!

Shaking his head at the sleeping girl, he got up and threw on a pair of baggy jeans and a blue t-shirt before heading out of the room. Luckily for him, the girl had not insisted on hanging out with him like she had been told to do. Instead, she had just told him where to go to register before putting on her headphones and ignoring him. When he had headed out, he had had every intention of doing what he had been told to do. However, all the beauties surrounding him in this hencoop called the 'Shikon All Girls Boarding School' had quickly sidetracked him. He had walked around thanking Sesshoumaru for being a genius before he had returned to his room for the night. If only he hadn't been so unlucky to have perhaps the most _ungirly_ girl as his roommate… She was rebellious and uncaring. Why couldn't he share his room with someone else — like that Kagome chick. Inuyasha was a lucky bastard, wasn't he?

Speaking of which … He peeked in to the room where his buddy was supposed to be sleeping only to find it empty. Before he could walk on his way, he was slapped in the face by one of the most tantalizing aromas he had ever smelled. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the scent of roses tinted with the most alluring fragrance of feminine arousal. His member hardened painfully. He could swear that he knew this scent. If he could just place it… His eyes snapped open as a flash of silver hair and long legs popped into his mind. _Oh God…_ He doubled over, clutching his stomach. He started heaving in disgust. _It's Inuyasha!_ He was turned on by his _very_ masculine friend's scent. Could it get any worse than this?

Crawling on his hands and knees, he managed to reach the bathroom before he emptied the contents of his stomach. He washed his mouth after he was sure there was nothing left to come out of him and looked at his image in the mirror. A dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty stared back at him with her kissable lips hanging slightly open. For a moment, he had forgotten that he now looked and _smelled_ like a girl. But what the hell had Inuyasha been doing in there to leave a scent like that? _Probably masturbating at the sight of that Kagome chick. That's what!_

He shuddered at the thought of what _he_ would smell like if he would ever try and pleasure himself. It would be hard not to do it with all those babes around, but if he was going to smell like a bitch in heat every time he did it …. He shook his head in determination. _No. Hell will freeze over before I smell like a bitch begging to be … _He gulped, his image mimicking the action from the other side of the looking glass. … _fucked._ His face scrunched up in revulsion, the expression contorting his pretty reflection. _No way._

Finally heading out of the room without throwing up again — he had to keep his breath in while he passed by Inuyasha's door in order to manage that — he made his way out of the dorms and to the registrar's office. He paid no mind to the strange looks he received from his peers on his way as well as from the secretary that handed him his schedule.

He sent a wink at the secretary and left the office with a bounce in his step, oblivious to the indignant look he received from the woman. He checked the piece of paper in his hands and saw that he was supposed to be in Homeroom B-2. Pushing his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans, he waltzed towards his classroom, excitement bubbling up in his groins at the idea of being the only male in a room full of all sizes and colors of pussies.

He reached the room in no time, seeing that no one else was in the halls to distract him from his course. He pushed the door open and stepped inside to what would be the one place he would be spending most of his days. He managed to take two more steps before he froze at the sight before his hungry eyes. Chicks… They were everywhere! Blondes, brunettes, red heads … His eyes flew from long, tanned, slim legs to more succulent ones, trying to commit every pair to his memory, but was having trouble focusing on one place for very long. A collection of different bust sizes from B to D… No wonder Victoria's Secret made so much money!

He felt his head spin and he had to lean on the wall next to him, closing his eyes for a few seconds to compose himself. He took a deep breath and almost regretted it when his nose was overwhelmed by the heavy combination of different fragrances. Lilies, lavenders, roses, tulips, orchids… This room was filled with beautiful flowers, and he intended to pick up and smell each and every one of them soon.

Shaking his head, he stood up straight and opened his eyes to find a seat before his knees gave out from under him. Spotting an empty desk at the back of the room, he strode between two rows of seats before his vision was filled with an exceptional beauty blocking his way. He couldn't stop himself from whistling at the delicious sight the temptress graced him with. She was leaning over one of the desks. Her legs seemed to go on forever, before disappearing under the confines of her green skirt, which was hiked up to reveal more of her silky skin. Bent over the desk, she was the perfect image of a real bitch in submission.

Growling softly, Kouga stalked towards the vixen and stopped right behind her, his groins almost touching her firm behind. Feeling his presence, the girl stood up in confusion. The scent of roses was the only warning Kouga received before silky strands of long silvery hair filled his vision. The now familiar feeling of his stomach churning in disgust reached his brain right after he had realized just who the girl was. Kouga groaned in misery for falling for his 'buddy' for the second time in one day. _If I ever see that bastard Sesshoumaru again …_

Praying that the hanyou did not notice his reaction to his new appearance, he composed himself quickly and tried to cover up for his stupidity by acting as if he had known that it had been Inuyasha from the beginning. Well, the best way to do that was to tease the aggressive hanyou, of course.

Clearing her throat, Kori whispered, "Hey, Shaya. Nice legs."

"Shut up, wolf-shit" muttered Shaya. With a scowl on her face, she turned to face the cheeky wolf.

Kouga snickered at the normally _macho_ boy's now completely _girly_ appearance. "There's no way anyone could make me wear a skirt, Sha-yah."

"I didn't have a choice, Bim-bo," Shaya grumbled, his golden eyes flickering dangerously with agitation. "Kagome took off my clothes and …"

Stopping her examination of the irate hanyou's new image, Kori looked up at Shaya with her eyes wide. "Kagome took your clothes off?" she whispered incredulously.

Shaya glared at the ground as if it offended her. "Yeah, and then she shoved a blouse and a skirt on me." The silver-haired pseudo-female decided not to mention that Kagome had also managed to put a _bra_ on 'her.' It was bad enough that he was walking around school with a skirt on.

Kori looked up at Shaya appraisingly. "So, she took off your clothes," repeated the wolf, watching her friend's cheeks redden slightly. _Damn. Lucky bastard!_ Raising an eyebrow, Kori urged on, "And did she …?"

Shaya's head shot up, effectively ending the one-sided glaring match she had with the ground. "Did _she_ what?" she asked, not sure that she liked where this was going.

"Did she take off _her_ clothes as well?" grinned Kori sardonically.

A choked sound came out of the dog-eared girl's throat as her eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets before she started sputtering like an idiot.

"I take that as a yes," uttered Kori with a sigh, his chagrin for having missed the show apparent in her tone. Not a moment passed before the brunette brightened significantly and flashed his friend a smirk, the light in her striking cerulean orbs screaming eagerness. "Call me over the next time she's naked. I want to see her, too."

The pretty golden eyes of the silver-haired girl flashed with fury at that comment. "There's no way you're going to see Kagome naked, wolf shit," hissed Shaya. Not caring for the surprised gazes she received from her peers--she cracked her knuckles in a very unladylike manner.

Accustomed to the hanyou's temper tantrums, Kori only grinned and whispered, "Hey, one way or another I'm going to see Kagome and any other girl I want to see naked. It's just a matter of time, mutt-face."

The hanyou's hands balled up in fists at his sides. Perhaps it was because Inuyasha was finally beginning to control his violent urges, or perhaps it was just the fact that Kouga currently looked like a girl and Inuyasha did not hit girls, who knew? Whichever was the reason, it saved the wolf from a nice beating. Instead of punching the goat like he wanted to do, Inuyasha clenched his jaw and crossed his arms in front of him, pushing up his ample bosom in frustration.

Not heeding by the death promise dancing in the fiery orbs of her friend, Kori carelessly provoked the fuming girl, "I think I'm going to hang out at the girls' locker rooms today and take many, long, hot showers. Want to join me, Sha-yah?"

Shaya growled and made to grab the indignant wolf demon by the collar of her t-shirt before her ears twitched at a shrill sound.

"Ookami, Kori! Come right here!" yelled an authoritative female.

Kori turned to glance casually at Headmistress Kaede whose eyes were narrowed on the only student in the room who was not wearing a uniform.

If Kori had been observant, she would have noticed that almost everyone in the classroom cringed when the headmistress spoke. Ayame grimaced and tugged at her own collar, her bewildered gaze fixed on Kori.

"Yeah, yeah, coming headmistress," muttered Kori as she walked lazily towards her superior.

Kaede pointedly looked her up and down before stating in a bone-chilling softness, "Where is your uniform, Ookami?"

Kori shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, unfazed by the dangerous glint in the headmistress' eyes. "In my wardrobe, I guess?" The wolf demoness met the headmistress' stare with detached amusement.

Kaede's eyebrow twitched in barely suppressed anger before she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I meant, why are you not wearing your uniform, girl?"

Crossing her arms in front of her, Kori answered, her voice leaving no place for argument, "I do _not _wear skirts." To emphasize her point, she raised her nose to the air and fixed her eyes at a point on the wall behind the old woman.

The headmistress raised an eyebrow at the determination of the teenage girl that was her new student. Having dedicated her life to educating young and impressionable minds, Kaede considered herself a kind teacher and a just manager. For that reason alone, she asked once more, "Is that so?"

Receiving a curt nod in answer from the brunette, Kaede sighed. Sometimes she felt really tired … But she represented authority in this school. To this day, she had let no one disregard the rules in this respected establishment, and she wasn't going to start anytime soon. "As you wish," muttered Kaede under her breath.

The headmistress took a clinking object from her pocket. A few horrified gasps were heard from the class when she put her hands in front of her chest as if she was praying and began chanting in a low voice. The object in her hands glowed brightly, and before Kouga could take a step back, several pinkish beams of light flew from Kaede's hands to form a circle around the surprised demon's neck. In the next instant, Kouga found himself staring at a necklace of sorts around his neck. He tugged at the beads, trying to remove them, but it was impossible to lift it high enough to free himself.

He looked at the headmistress with eyes that reflected every bit of his shock. The old woman smiled at him and opened her mouth, "Submit."

A softly uttered single word—a word Kouga hated to hear directed at himself—and he was pulled to the ground with an incredible force. Kouga groaned in pain as he tried to tear his face off of the concrete surface. It didn't take him long to comprehend the dreadful situation he was in. He was collared like a dog! He wasn't a dog, dammit! He was a _wolf_! You do _not_ collar wolves!

From the corner of his eye, he saw Kaede talking to another old hag — probably the teacher. He opened his mouth to let the woman know what he thought of her way of making him submit (_Submit! Couldn't she have at least found another word?!_), but he was cut short at the sound of a girl chuckling above him.

"Wouldn't wear a skirt, huh? Could have fooled me…"

Perfect! Now the hanyou was teasing him. He supposed he deserved it for the way he made fun of Inuyasha's attire, but he wasn't going to admit that. He was already humiliated enough for one day.

Feeling the spell wear off, he jumped to his feet and snarled menacingly, "Shut up, mutt-face!"

Smirking, Shaya called to the headmistress, her voice the embodiment of innocence, "Kaede-sensei? Kori is picking on me."

Kaede turned burning eyes in Kori's direction and muttered, "Submit."

And just like that, Kori found her face stuck to the ground with a loud crack. A string of muffled curses left her mouth under the amused gaze of her snickering buddy.

* * *

After the end of their morning classes, Shaya listened to Kagome chatter animatedly about the history teacher — a rather minuscule flea demon called Myoga-sensei—as they walked towards the cafeteria. He would admit that he had found the situation funny when a voice started talking about the lifestyles of the Feudal Era out of nowhere. It had taken him a few minutes to realize that it had been a little flea perched on the teacher's desk that had left the class in silence.

Not caring for the topic, he had laid his head onto his desk and opted to watch Kagome, who had been sitting next to him take notes obediently. He must have dozed off at some point. He couldn't blame himself though; it was hard to stay awake when all his senses were enveloped with the girl's gentle scent. He had jumped in his seat, his hand flying to slap his cheek, leaving a painful sting in its wake. Looking at his palm, he had realized he had just flattened his teacher. Popping up to his normal shape, the annoying flea grumbled about lazy students sleeping in his class before jumping away from his desk. He supposed the flea hadn't got the time to taste his blood, or else he would have discovered his disguise.

He looked down at his roommate, who was a head shorter than him, when he heard her giggle. He smiled softly at the sight. She was currently telling him about the last time they had made Myoga run away from the class. Apparently, the guy was a coward, and the class took advantage of it whenever they did not feel like listening to his gibberish. It must be funny, he supposed. But his attention was more on the melodic timbre of her voice, rather than the topic of her one-sided conversation. Besides, the feeling of her delicate arm linked to his did not help him concentrate on her words.

When they finally reached the cafeteria, she let go of his arm, extracting a disappointed sigh from him. Sending him a bright smile, she pushed the doors open. Instantly, his ears were bombarded with all the sounds of chattering echoing in the large place filled with teenage girls, and he grimaced. _Stupid girls._ Honestly, didn't they ever shut up?!

They quickly grabbed their lunches and started looking for an empty table. Her lunch tray in hand, Kagome turned to beam at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "Come on, Shaya. I want you to meet someone!"

Puzzled, he followed the girl to one corner of the large room. They came to a stop in front of a student with long, dark-brown hair, who was eating alone at a table. Setting her tray across from the girl, Kagome greeted her friend, who glanced up at the sudden intrusion.

"Hey, Sango!"

Grinning at the cheerful raven-headed girl, Sango complained half-heartedly, "I thought you'd never show up." Then, she turned to eye their new companion. Her gaze traveled up the girl's unusually tall form, before landing on the two appendages twitching atop her silver head. Her eyes widened in recognition and her gaze came to rest on the hanyou girl's rather pretty face with a small smile on her own. "Who's the new girl?"

Kagome plopped on the seat across from Sango and patted the seat next to hers for Shaya to sit. "This is Takahashi, Shaya. She's my new roomie."

Kagome missed Sango's raised eyebrow at the mention of Shaya's name, but Inuyasha did not. Sitting next to his roommate, Inuyasha returned Sango's gesture by raising his perfectly trimmed eyebrow in question.

Oblivious to the exchange, Kagome turned to Shaya and finished her introductions, "Shaya, this is Sango, my best friend."

Instead of beaming a polite smile like any decent lady would do, Shaya curtly nodded to the brown-haired girl in greeting. "Hey."

The new girl's lack of ladylike manners must have amused Sango because she chuckled before returning the greeting, "Hey, yourself." After taking a sip from her water, Sango turned to the new girl and asked, "Takahashi? Is that …" She trailed off when Kagome hit her shin under the table with her foot. "Ouch."

Sango looked at Kagome, who raised an eyebrow meaningfully. Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and she opened her mouth to ask what the problem was, but before she could utter a single word, Kagome stated hurriedly, "Shaya has two brothers, you know? I have only one, and he's more than enough trouble! I can't imagine how hard it must be for Shaya! Oh! And her eldest brother used to date Rin."

Sango raised both eyebrows at the panic that swam in her friends begging eyes and decided to play along. "Oh."

He might be gruff and careless, but Inuyasha was definitely not stupid. He suspected that something was going on, judging from the way that Kagome tried to keep Sango from talking about Shaya's brothers. Would it make any difference if he asked? _Nah, probably not._ He filed the information at the back of his mind to be brought up at a later date and gave his attention to his food.

Half way through her meal, Kagome nudged Shaya with her elbow. "Sango and I were in the same class in junior high, and since then she has been my best friend. We're not in the same class now, but at least we're together in PE."

Shaya nodded, her mouth full of ramen noodles.

Right when he thought she was done talking and returned to wolfing down his much needed lunch, she clapped her hands excitedly, taking his attention away from his tray once more. "Oh! You should meet Miroku someday! He's Sango's boyfriend."

Following that exclamation, Sango almost choked on her food. Once she was done coughing, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and shot back, "He's not!" With a roll of her eyes, she stabbed the piece of meat on her plate with unnecessary force.

Kagome gave a bemused smile at her friend's reaction and asked slyly, "He's not? He sure doesn't say so."

Sango blushed hotly, and Inuyasha had a hard time keeping himself from laughing out loud at the girl's terrified expression. He really wanted to see what this Miroku was like. That was until he heard Sango grumble, "I don't date lechers."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Sango turned to Shaya and asked, effectively changing the topic, "You look very athletic, especially with that height of yours. Do you engage in sports?"

Shaya shrugged her shoulders. "I do anything that has to do with hand-in-hand combat."

Hearing that, Sango's eyes shone brightly. "Really? Great! Maybe we can spar some time?"

Without thinking, Shaya shook her head at the excited girl. "Sorry. I don't fight with girls."

Sango was taken aback, but before she could point that out, a shadow fell over their table. Looking up, Inuyasha was greeted with the sight of one of the few people he did not want to see again in his entire life.

Kagura stood there, blatantly eyeing the three girls before her eyes landed on Shaya. Placing her hands on her hips in a show of confidence, she directed her words to the new student. "You, girl. Are you, by any chance, related to that bastard Inuyasha?"

Shaya raised her eyebrows in amusement. _What a bitch! I can't believe Kouga actually liked her enough to fuck her. _But then again, that idiot would fuck anything with a hole in it. He mentally shook his head before smirking at the bitch that was the cause of their current predicament. "What if I am?"

"Then you should watch your steps, little girl, if you don't want to suffer because of his stupidity."

"Keh." With an ungirly snort, Shaya rolled her eyes not wanting to pick a fight with a female no matter which girl it was.

He heard Kagome clear her throat softly before she meekly asked, "Kagura, please. Don't pick on Shaya. She didn't do anything."

"Oh?" A dark chuckle left Kagura's generously painted lips, and she turned her attention to Kagome, who looked frightened under the cold gaze she was subjected to. "I see you forget your place, Higurashi. Since when do I take orders from you, you little shrine prostitute?"

Inuyasha's hackles rose when he heard the bitch call Kagome, _his_ Kagome, a prostitute. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Kagome look at her lap silently. That did it! Standing up, he took two steps to hover over Kagura and hissed, "Watch your mouth, you little slut."

"And what if I don't?" replied Kagura. There was no mistaking her barely concealed undertone of menace.

He smiled devilishly, the effect somewhat appeased by the soft lines of his feminine visage. "I don't hit girls, but I can make an exception if you insist."

Kagura took a step back from the girl that talked as if she was from one of those primitive street gangs. "Eww! And you call yourself a girl?" Eyeing the impertinent hanyou before her in disgust, Kagura snorted and left, all the while muttering under her breath, "No wonder you're related to that bastard."

Inuyasha turned to his two companions to see that they were ready to leave. What surprised him was the pure adoration in Kagome's eyes as she looked up at him with her mouth hanging open. His already plump chest—thanks to his not really there bosom—swelled even more with pride. _Keh!_ He was now a hero, wasn't he? _Correction: heroine._ Shaking his head at his mocking thoughts, he followed the girls out of the cafeteria. They said goodbye to Sango for the time being and made their way to their homeroom. It wasn't until the teacher showed up that Inuyasha stopped wondering why Kagome looked so frightened and did not stand up for herself.

* * *

Inuyasha was positioned in the volleyball court right behind Kagome. He had managed to wear his red sweat pants and baggy white t-shirt, but he was starting to appreciate the official volleyball uniform. The girls' shorts looked more like bikini bottoms. He had a wonderful view of Kagome's backside as she bent over in front of him preparing to take the next volleyball hit. She was dressed in white shorts that looked like panties, a long sleeved navy t-shirt, and knee guards. He watched her hips swiveling in front of him, and her knees bent as she prepared for the return.

"Got it!" Kagome cried out as she dug in under the ball. Her knees struck the ground with the force of the hit.

Contact was made and the ball popped high above their heads. Inuyasha wasn't really paying attention to the ball. She was squatting in front of him, and he could see her firm thighs pushing her body up to stand.

"Set!" yelled Sango. She centered her body under the ball that was rapidly returning to the earth. Her hands were high above her as she took the second hit and controlled the ball's rise and descent.

"It's mine!" screamed Shaya as 'she' jumped high to spike the ball in the air and slam it onto the opposing team's side. Shaya smirked as she watched the other team scramble after the ball that had ricocheted from her hands with dizzying speed. _Just try to return that one, bitches …_

The volleyball was about to touch the ground with a slamming force when it appeared to hover momentarily in the air. The slight pause was enough for the opposing team captain, Kagura, to dive under the ball and save it from being grounded.

Inuyasha knew that he should be paying attention to the game, but it was getting hard to concentrate. Kagome just _had to_ have her hands on her bent knees in front of him! No matter how much he told himself not to look, his eyes seemed to have minds of their own. His hungry eyes roamed her lean back to her firm and rounded rear end to her long, silky athletic legs. He was _really_ glad that he did not have to wear those constricting shorts…

Catching some movement from the corner of her eyes, Shaya turned to look at her friend, Kori. His best friend leered at the hanyou, pointed to Kagome's backside and then licked 'her' lips. Inuyasha glared at Kouga for his impertinence. He growled in warning. He was the only one who could check out Kagome's assets, dammit!

Pop! The ball leapt up almost to the ceiling before another platinum-blonde girl on the other team connected with the rapidly descending ball. She spiked it and the ball zoomed directly at Shaya.

It was too bad that Shaya wasn't paying attention to the game and instead was about to yell at Kori for looking at something that she shouldn't.

Bawonk! The ball made contact with a part of Inuyasha's anatomy that he had always sought to protect from harm. Usually, he wore a jock strap during sports, but sadly there was no such equipment at an all-girls' school.

His eyes rolled in their sockets, and he grimaced in intense pain. He clutched at his privates in agony and bent over in absolute misery. "Oww! Fuck! Shit! Fuck!" cried Shaya. Her feminine voice croaked in a surprisingly masculine manner.

"Shaya!" cried out Kagome in sympathy as she ran over to her roommate. "Are you OK, Shaya-chan?"

Shaya's eyes watered and 'she' couldn't respond. There wasn't anything in the world quite as painful as what he was going through. He tried to speak, but his voice came out in a hushed whimper. "I'm … fa … fa … fine," she managed to utter.

"Oh dear," responded Kagome with empathy. "Let me help you." Kagome threaded her arms under Shaya's shoulders and lead her off the court and into the girl's locker room. She gingerly helped Shaya sit on the wooden slat benches in the middle of the lockers. Then, Kagome pulled Shaya's legs apart and sat between them.

Without even looking at Shaya's face, Kagome started to knead the muscles under the sweat pants he wore. "That has got to hurt. Having a volleyball smack right into your thigh. A little friction should warm up your muscles and help the blood flow for healing."

_Help the blood flow?_ Inuyasha looked down at the girl seated between his legs and tried to relax. Her small, delicate hands kneaded his muscular thighs and rubbed against the thick jersey cloth. The magical touch of her hands moved from his knees to his inner thighs to the delicate area right next to his groin. As Kagome's hands continued their massage, his groins became heated, and he felt a pleasurable sensation starting to return to the area. There was still a prickly pain, but a growing warmth was quickly taking over. Luckily, he was hanyou and could heal rapidly. Perhaps he was healing too fast… His gut clenched in desire as he gazed at the girl. _She has no idea what she is doing to me…_

"Ahhhh…," the words couldn't help but to come out of Shaya's lips as 'she' tried not to moan. Tantalizing images of what else Kagome could do while she was positioned so close to 'little Tessiaga' crept into his mind. He couldn't help but to imagine what would happen if her delicate, warm hands would find the hard shaft that was growing between his legs. Then unbidden images of her stroking, licking and sucking on him while she sat so intimately next to him became overwhelming. Even the act of breathing became difficult, and a warmth crept into his lower abdomen before it pooled and stiffened.

It took all of his willpower to push Kagome aside when all he wanted to do was to take her into his arms and ravish her. "Rest … rest … ra … room," Shaya muttered as she stood up and nearly ran into the nearest stall. Kagome was left in a lurch with a look of puzzlement on her face.

Shaya dived into the nearest bathroom stall. Everything looked so different in the woman's locker rooms. There were no urinals, but then women didn't have the need for them. He dropped his red sweats and pulled down his briefs. He wouldn't even look down at himself since he knew he would see a woman's curls instead of a dangling length. He spit into his hand and grasped his hardened shaft while he braced his other hand on the metal door in front of him. He had to get this out of his system. She had been teasing him since he got up this morning and he really couldn't take it anymore.

Inuyasha started to stroke and he remembered Kagome sitting between his legs—her warm breath fanning his naked thighs. He imagined her warm pouty lips moving forward to lick the tip of his throbbing cock—her warm, wet mouth enveloping his length.

"Ahhhh," Shaya moaned in a breathless womanly sigh. Kagome would suck on him and swallow him whole. Her head would bob repeatedly on his throbbing cock, and she'd take the entire length down her throat. After she sucked him, he would let loose in her mouth. He rubbed his pulsating shaft faster and faster as his fantasy played in his mind. The crescendo seemed to burst as his balls tightened and the building tension crept into his length. "Oh fuck, ahhhh," groaned Shaya as he spewed out his life fluid onto himself and the bathroom stall.

He stood there panting and made the mistake of looking down. Even though he could see his white cream splattered on the stall door, his hands didn't look like they were holding a cock. Instead they seemed to be touching glistening pink folds that were covered in curly silver hair.

"Fuck!" Shaya exclaimed in horror as he released his rod and tried to catch his breath. _God-damned illusion. Looked too real…_

He pulled out some toilet paper and wiped himself down. Then he started to clean up the bathroom stall. He didn't want any of the girls to wonder why a man's cum had gotten all over the area. Then he sniffed the stall in utter dismay. The scent that surrounded him was of a female bitch in heat—luckily there were no male dog demon's sniffing around! His masculine essence smelled like a woman's. _Fuck you to hell, Sesshoumaru! I don't want to be a girl. I'm a guy, dammit!_

"Are you OK, Shaya?" asked Kagome with temerity from the other side of the stall door. Inuyasha stopped his attempts at cleaning up with the intrusion. "You were moaning, and you sounded hurt."

"Fa … fa ... fine," muttered Shaya as she waved her hands in protest despite the fact that Kagome couldn't see her behind the metal stall door.

"OK," whispered Kagome in confusion. She pulled away from the other side of the stall door. "I'm going to take a shower."

Shaya slumped to the other end of the stall and sat on the toilet in defeat. Being a girl never felt as bad as it did right then. He felt so emasculated when he looked down at himself. _Oh God! Bad idea! Don't look! _

A gentle sigh came from her luscious cherry red lips. Shaya's delicate pink tipped fingers ran themselves through her silvery locks. He had to shower. If he didn't get the scent of an aroused bitch _(his scent!)_ off of his skin, he would go insane. He stood and pulled up his sweatpants.

Inuyasha walked with his head held low as he made his way back to his locker. He pulled out a towel, soap, shampoo, and conditioner and placed them on the bench behind him. With his eyes staring straight ahead into nothingness, he yanked off his t-shirt, sweats, bra, and underwear. Sometimes he even closed his eyes. Seeing female body parts on his own form sickened him. Even if it was an illusion — it just seemed too real. He was cursed! With a delicate girlish sigh, he wrapped a large, fluffy, pink towel around his torso and made his way to the showers.

He stopped when he heard Kori whistle behind him. "Looking hot, Shaya," the girl called.

As if he didn't have enough things to ruin his day, having his male buddy telling him that he looked good made his anger flare. "Shut up, wolf-shit!" yelled Shaya. She cracked her knuckles in a way that didn't seem very effeminate.

Kori stood before Shaya wearing only a blue towel. Her brilliant cerulean eyes danced with merriment, her long black locks fell down her back and the small towel she wore clung to every curve of 'her' body. Inuyasha felt that he was going to be sick again.

His best buddy sniffed the air appreciatively. "Smelling good, too!" Kori said as she laughed. "Now what do you say that we check out the women's showers?!"

A burst of redness appeared on Shaya's cheeks. She stiffened in embarrassment, and for a moment, she looked lost. Then her eyes narrowed, and her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Get out of my way, you sack of shit!" yelled Shaya. The words she used seemed so bizarre when they came from such a beautiful and delicate looking creature. She huffed and walked past Kori to the showers. Much to Inuyasha's dismay, Kori was hot on his heels.

Soon the curvaceous, dark-haired demon girl was walking along side of the dog-eared Shaya. Kori was sniffing the air again and a wolfish grin appeared on her lovely face. "God damn! Kagome's in there! I get to see some tail!" the girl squealed in excitement.

Shaya froze as if ice water had been thrown on her body. Kori quickly ran forward and ditched her towel on a locker room bench as she made her way towards the sounds of water falling. "No!" murmured Shaya in horror. Kouga was going to see Kagome — naked! No one else should see her nude form. That was his privilege and his privilege alone! With renewed anger, Shaya dumped her pink towel next to Kori's and stomped into the steaming hot room with her bathing supplies.

Shaya was momentarily disoriented when she walked into the heated fog of the shower room. His nose twitched and he breathed in deeply. He couldn't help but to make his way towards the one scent that had been calling to him since he was fifteen. _Kagome_…

Once Shaya moved forward, the steam started to dissipate revealing a lovely view of Kagome's naked backside. Steam and shimmering water swirled around her body as she sat kneeling before him. Luscious scents of cherry blossom's and jasmine intertwined to find their way into his flaring nostrils. He breathed deeply in appreciation. Inuyasha looked at her long swanlike neck, her arching back and the widening of her hips that swelled into a luscious curvy ass. His mouth seemed to salivate when he spied the dripping water that ran down her body and pooled under her ass and bent knees.

Inuyasha watched in fascination as Kagome brought the flexible showerhead up to let the water drizzle down her back, following the curve of her spine to collect between her two smooth butt cheeks and then falling to the floor. Suddenly Shaya felt strangely jealous of the shower massager that Kagome was using.

Inuyasha would have just stood there, staring at the sight in front of him, if it wasn't for the movement of his friend. Kouga was looking directly at Kagome as he fiddled with turning on the shower. In fact, he hadn't even bothered to turn on his shower since the bathing maiden captured his eyes. If Kagome had not been so enraptured by her own bathing, she would have surely noticed Kori gawking at her.

Shaya flexed her knuckles and let a low growl rumble out of her ample bosom. She was slightly shocked to hear a womanly snarl erupt from herself. However, it couldn't be helped—she needed to demonstrate to Kouga that Kagome was taken. Even if he looked like a girl, even if there was no possible way that he could claim her right now …

Kori only looked back at Shaya, raised an amused eyebrow and smirked. The wolf girl continued to leer at Kagome and licked 'her' lips. Then the female demoness managed to turn on her own shower before turning back to gaze at the wet beauty who knelt before them.

Inuyasha had had enough, so he boldly walked forward and stood at the shower station between Kouga and Kagome. There was no way he was going to allow his buddy to have an unadulterated view of Kagome's nude form. Shaya maneuvered in a way that would enable him to let his body block as much of the view as possible. He smirked when he heard Kori muttering curses behind his back. The hanyou turned on his shower and let the warm water run over his body. The lingering scent from when he pleasured himself washed down the drain. He reached to grab a bar of soap and then turned to look at Kagome.

He had only intended to keep her in sight so that he could mimic her every move and keep Kouga from seeing her in the nude. However, he wasn't ready for what he saw or smelled.

Kagome stood under the flowing water, letting it dribble down her body. Her eyes were closed and her hands rubbed a soapy towel over her body. Trails of bubbles followed in the wake of the lucky cloth. Shaya cocked her head to the side for a better view and was oblivious to Kouga's efforts of doing the same.

Kagome's small, delicate hands touched her rounded breasts and their stiff, rose-brown centers. One hand would stroke the luscious skin with a sudsy washcloth while the other would sensuously caress the area. Shaya stared in an open-mouthed gape. He watched as her hands lathered the creamy skin of her torso and abdomen. Then, her delicate fingers trailed a sudsy wake into her nether region.

Shaya watched in wonder as the foaming washcloth made contact with the dark curly hair at the apex of her thighs. Kagome brought her hands up and down against her nest and murmured a sigh of appreciation. Inuyasha watched enrapt as the suds continued to drip off her rounded breasts, to ease across her flat tone stomach until the bubbles collected at her rounded thighs. Trailing after the bubbles was a gush of water that gently smoothed the lather away from her skin.

Shaya's eyes widened as he picked up a new scent from Kagome. As her washcloth rubbed her darkened curls a musky, marine aroma warmed the air around the girl. _Oh fuck!_

Inuyasha really didn't know what he was doing, but her scent called to him. It was the first time he had smelled her arousal and it was so tempting. It shouted to him to complete her, to take her and to finish what her body desired. It didn't register anywhere in the deepest recesses of his brain that, for all intents and purposes, he was a 'girl,' and Kagome probably would not desire a female partner.

Kori noticed Shaya's heavy lidded eyes and the look of lust that overcame her features. "Shaya," muttered Kori in a warning. However, his best friend was oblivious to anything but the maddeningly lustful scent of Kagome's arousal, which perfumed the air. Kori also found the scent to be lovely, but Shaya was acting as if it was intoxicating. It was as if he was responding to his chosen mate.

"God damn it, Shaya," grumbled Kori. She grabbed a few bars of soap in her hands and threw them down on the slick tile floor, landing right next to Shaya's feet.

Inuyasha was reaching for that delectable scent that beckoned him. It was only a few feet away, and he could even taste the lovely marine aroma on his tongue. Now, if he could only taste it from her wet folds. She wasn't very far away; he only needed to touch her. He _needed_ to touch her…

Without warning, his foot stepped on something slippery and he lost his balance. His arms flailed about as he tried to grab something before stumbling to the ground like an idiot.

"Ow! Fuck!" yelled Shaya as her body hit the hard and slick tile floor. Whatever spell had drifted over his senses was broken by the cold, unyielding ground he sat on.

Kagome's sudsy washcloth stopped its delicious journey down her thighs as she spied Shaya falling down. She dropped her washcloth to look in horror at her roommate sprawled out on the cold, hard floor. "Shaya-chan!" Kagome yelled worriedly. "Are you all right?" Shaya could only look up at Kagome in a dazed manner that seemed to speak of a serious head injury.

Kagome bent down on her knees and crept forward to draw her new friend up against her body. She pulled the dazed girl into her arms and let her rest on her wet, naked lap. Inuyasha sighed happily as he felt Kagome's warm, naked flesh sliding so intimately against his own. Kagome was cradling his head in her lap as if it was a precious commodity. Inuyasha felt his face being stroked by gentle hands while he sat contentedly next to her under the crashing warm water.

Kagome had a hard time holding the girl. Shaya seemed so much heavier than she looked! The girl in her arms continued to gaze at her with a goofy grin on her face. She was obviously not well; she might need to go to a hospital!

"Shaya! Shaya-chan!" Kagome shouted and soon her calls brought some other girls into the shower to see what the commotion was all about.

Inuyasha continued to gaze at Kagome with a silly half-grin on his face. His long-time crush smelled so delicious, and he was right next to the delectable aroma that had been pouring forth from her womanhood. It was the best fragrance he had ever had the opportunity to inhale. He felt dizzy. He wasn't too sure if he had hit his head as he fell, but surely his hanyou healing would take care of any injuries. The only word to properly describe what he felt was 'drunk.' He was drunk on her aroused scent.

"Ka-Go-Me," he muttered piteously as the petite girl tried to help him stand up with Sango's assistance. With two girls on either side helping him up, Inuyasha only grinned at Kagome with a smile that suggested a serious concussion.

"We have to get her to the nurse. She stumbled in the shower. I think she hit her head. She's not coherent," said Kagome, her voice laced with worry.

Inuyasha found his body pressed down onto the wooden slat benches in the locker room and then found Kagome rubbing his soft pink towel against his skin. It felt so lovely for her to rub him down. He gazed at her with a crooked smile.

"Look at her, she might have a serious head injury!" quipped Kagome with anxious concern.

Inuyasha dumbly acceded to anything Kagome wanted as he allowed his crush to dress him. It was rather fun to have her lovely hands touching his body and then putting on his clothes as if he were a doll. Then, the two girls helped Shaya get up and lead 'her' down the hallway to the school nurse.

Inuyasha really couldn't ever remember being this deliriously happy.

"Some guys get all the luck," Kori muttered as he followed the concerned entourage to the nurse's office.

End Chapter 3

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Authors' Notes:**

#1: OK folks, we really need your help with movie recommendations. Inuyasha in his girl form 'Shaya' will be watching at least two movies with Kagome as the story progresses. We want something funny for them to watch. Something that will make Inuyasha/Shaya squirm in discomfort or something that is just dang funny considering that Shaya is really a guy… Any ideas? We'd love to hear from you!

#2: Inuyasha will also be playing a video game with Souta soon. Any video games that you think Inuyasha would enjoy playing? We'll give Souta a Wii system…

#3: We know that Kagome was a little OOC in the chapter. We were stuck with the task of getting Inuyasha in a skirt and found that an overly helpful Kagome (with a hint of aggressiveness—along with a guilt trip) was the only way we could get Inuyasha into a skirt without collaring him with a subjugation rosary. We did think about getting him collared, but honestly this story is all about humor and we found it **really** funny to have Kagome taking Inuyasha's clothes off and **incredibly** funny to have Kouga collared instead. (Poor Kouga…but after all of those times when Kouga teased Inuyasha in the anime and manga—we think it's about time for some role reversals.)

#4: Nato: Fermented soy beans that the Japanese love to eat for breakfast with toast. Personally, I find it gross since it looks like mucus.

#5: We couldn't help but to throw a little mention in our story about a wonderfully lemony story called, 'The Shrine Prostitute' by FlameTwirler. (Go back and read what Kagura calls Kagome and then check out FlameTwirler's great story if you haven't read it already!)


	4. Getting to Know You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

**Warning: A yuri scene, sexual situations, WAFF (Warm and fuzzy feeling) and lots of swearing.**

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_Our apologies for taking so long to publish this chapter... Ai Kisugi went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and Karaumea was putting out some wonderfully angst-ridden chapters of Heartless. Then the IYFG disqualified two of Karaumea's stories. So we spent the later half of the month editing instead of writing. :-P_

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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: _

_Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger and Theleb K'aarna!_

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_Co-authored by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi_

**Chapter 4: Getting to Know You…**

Inuyasha sat dazed and at ease on his futon as he openly stared at Kagome. His roommate was combing her long raven locks. They had just gotten back from the nurse's office after his 'spill' in the girl's shower. The school nurse had told Kagome that since Shaya was a hanyou, that she would be perfectly fine. However, the silly miko had insisted on walking him back to his dorm room, had brought him his dinner, checked his temperature, and even helped him undress for bed. What had capped off the night was Kagome taking off her clothes and wiggling into a silky nightshirt with no bra on. He loved the way the clinging, silky fabric caressed her curves and her lovely bosom. _Damn, life is good!_

His roommate stopped combing her ebony strands for a moment to look at him quizzically. Her head titled to the side again as if to determine his reaction. "Are you still feeling dizzy, Shaya? You still look a little dazed."

Inuyasha only blinked and tried to wave his arms in protest before the miko was next to him and on his futon. She had her hand on his forehead again, checking his temperature.

"You feel a little warm. I think I need to get you to bed. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning?"

"To-to-bed?" Shaya gulped. Images of Kagome tucking him into bed and sleeping next to him popped into his brain. He couldn't help but to let a silly half-grin appear on his ruby lips.

"Yes, to bed. And, oh!" Kagome looked at her roommate in surprise as she got up to pull the futon cover down. "Your hair, Shaya. It's still tangled. We never combed it after the shower."

"S-Okay," murmured Shaya as she sat back on her futon. "I…I ca-can comb it…in the morn-morning."

"What?" asked the miko incredulously. "Your long hair will snarl and tangle if we don't get this taken care of before you get to bed."

Shaya only looked at Kagome questioningly. "Sa-sure, if…you want to…"

His roommate beamed a smile at him and picked up her hairbrush. Soon the miko was stroking her brush through his long silvery hair. It felt so soothing for someone else to be brushing his hair. A sigh escaped his lips as he let his head fall back in bliss.

His ears perked up when he heard Kagome mumble, "You're so pretty, Shaya."

A snort left the hanyou, reflecting his disagreement before he asked, "I am?"

"Of course, you are!" replied the girl vehemently. Silence fell over the duo as she continued to brush his hair softly for a few long seconds. After a moment she whispered, "I wish I was pretty like you."

Taken aback by her wistful comment, Inuyasha opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to stutter, "B-but, y-you are p-pretty."

Kagome's hand stilled on his hair, and he had to suppress a growl at the loss of her soothing ministrations. He was still cursing himself inwardly when he heard her voice, quivering with an unexpressed hope. "You think so?"

Heat rushed to his cheeks, and he could only sharply nod once.

"Oh, you're so kind," said the girl as she started combing again. He heard her sigh before she added, "But, not everyone thinks so."

"What do you mean?"

Her hand stilled again. He waited for a few seconds for her to answer. When he received none, he pressed, "Kagome?"

She took a deep breath and let out a long-suffering sigh. Her hand softly brushed his ear, and he shuddered at the feel of it. "T-there's this boy I have a crush on."

Once he registered her words, Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "A boy?"

"Yeah. But, he doesn't like me at all," answered Kagome sadly.

_She likes someone?_ Without even realizing, he clenched his fists. His polished nails dug into his palms to the point of drawing blood. "Who's that bastard?" he snapped, turning to face her. Her eyes widened in surprise, and he had the dignity to blush at his outburst. "I-I mean, he must be a bastard not to like you," he quickly corrected.

Kagome smiled sadly.

Seeing her expression, he suddenly felt bad. He forced himself to relax as he wondered about his reaction. How did one look from her effect him so much? Careful to keep his voice concerned rather than angry, he asked, "Why do you think he doesn't like you? I don't see that happening."

Kagome stared at the brush in her hand. She shrugged her head hopelessly and continued, "He's so indifferent toward me. He doesn't talk to me; he doesn't even look at me!"

_Such a stuck up son-of-a-bitch! If I ever lay my hands on that asshole…_

While he was busy conjuring up images of how to gut the bastard that stole _his_ girl's affection, the miko continued, "I don't know what it is that he doesn't like about me. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm beautiful, but I don't think that I am butt ugly."

_Not beautiful? Is she blind? What the hell is she talking about?!_ Knowing that it wouldn't be wise to voice his thoughts about her appearance, Inuyasha opted to shake his head in response.

"What is it? Are my boobs too small? Or too big?" asked Kagome as she cupped her breasts with both hands as if to gauge their size. "Is my ass huge?" she questioned as she twisted to look at her butt. Inuyasha could only stare at the show Kagome was putting on right next to him. He was amazed that the girl he had always worshiped from afar would be so insecure about her own body that she would question her lovely assets. "Is there something wrong with my face?" she asked while pulling at her cheeks. "Or my voice? Maybe, he thinks I'm stupid. Why doesn't he like me?" she demanded in exasperation as she hit the futon underneath her.

Shaya could only look at Kagome with a look of stupefaction. Kagome had presented an extremely delectable sight as she grabbed her own bosom and displayed her firm backside for viewing. The silver-haired girl crossed her arms in front of her and murmured her telltale, "Keh!"

Kagome just looked at Shaya and then the floor in front of them before tears started to well in her eyes.

Panic started to overcome the hanyou as he watched the girl he wanted falling apart in front of his eyes. "Ka-Kagome, do-don't cry!" he said. Inuyasha gingerly moved forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Whoever he is—he's not worth it."

Kagome looked up at Shaya, her eyes brimming with tears and her lips trembling with worry.

Inuyasha didn't know what overcame him. He had never comforted anyone, but here was the opportunity he had always wanted. He pulled Kagome close to himself and hugged her tight. "If that guy doesn't like you for who you are, then he's an idiot. Forget about him."

Shaya pulled back from Kagome to look at her eyes. She sniffed as rivulets of salty water meandered down her cheeks. Shaya tried to smile in the face of his roommate's extreme misery. "I mean," mumbled the silver-haired goddess, "You are one of the prettiest girls that I have ever seen. There's nothing wrong with you. You—you're perfect just as you are."

"Just as I am?" questioned Kagome with trepidation. She tugged at her nightshirt and sighed before slouching into Shaya's embrace and comfort. "Thanks, Shaya," she whispered. "Sometimes you know just what to say."

Inuyasha's ego puffed up ten-fold at the statement and at the knowledge that he was finally holding Kagome in his arms. Even if his girl thought that another woman was holding her, it still didn't detract from his accomplishment.

Inuyasha continued to hold Kagome close. Her head was cupped into the crook of his neck. Every breath he took allowed him to smell her freshly washed hair that held traces of strawberry shampoo. He sniffed the fragrance of her body: cherry blossoms. Gentle and sweet—just like his miko. As he sat there, happily holding his girl, his mind couldn't help but come up with a plan that could please them both. Obviously, there was some jerk out there that didn't appreciate Kagome. _The asshole! _Of course, if Inuyasha could come in and sweep Kagome off her feet while she was so vulnerable... _Well, then the other jerk got what he deserves, right?_

Shaya squeezed the soft, curvy miko in his arms. "Kagome?" the hanyou questioned.

"Hummm?" the miko mumbled as she sat up and wiped her tears from her eyes.

"You should forget about him and just go out with another guy."

Kagome smiled shyly at the futon in front of her and gripped her own shoulders. "It's not that easy, Shaya. You see, I've had a crush on him for so long…"

Inuyasha couldn't help but to grip Kagome's shoulders with both of his hands. His face was directly across from her as he made his pitch. "You need to get out there and date! If you have fun with another guy, I'm sure that you can forget about that bastard."

"I don't know, I…"

"In fact, I even know the perfect guy that you can date!" said Shaya, beaming.

"You do?" asked Kagome as she looked up at Shaya with wonderment.

"Yes. He's handsome, can kick anyone's ass, he's strong, really smart and… he'd love to be with you," muttered Shaya as she added on the last part.

"Oh," said Kagome with eyes that were sparkling with hope and laughter. Just looking at Kagome made Inuyasha's heart leap into his throat. "Who is he?"

Shaya tried to show a great amount of enthusiasm as she added, "My brother, Inuyasha!"

The hanyou was not the least bit prepared for the look of utter despondency that fell upon his roommate's crestfallen face. "Inuyasha?" Kagome asked timidly. Kagome turned away from him and Inuyasha felt his heart sink with sadness. "But, he doesn't even like me. He hates me. He'd never date me…," said Kagome as her voice trailed off into nothingness.

Inuyasha felt like this was his only chance to make things right. He desperately gripped her shoulders again and made her face him. "He likes you. I know it. He wants to date you."

The look Kagome gave him only made his heart skip a beat. She gave him the saddest smile that he had ever seen. Kagome patted his cheek with her hand. "You're so sweet, Shaya. But, he'd never date me. Maybe I should just try to date someone else?"

"He would date you!" protested Shaya. "I know he would. Just give him a chance."

Kagome only blew at her bangs and looked at him with a melancholy smile. "OK. If he would actually date me, then set up a date, Shaya. He's your brother, you should be able to get a hold of him," challenged Kagome.

"Uhh, Ummm," answered Shaya as she turned away from her roommate. "Inuyasha, my brother, he's, he's…"

Kagome furrowed her brow and looked at Shaya quizzically. "He's…?" The girl shrugged and sat back with a frown on her face. "I knew it. There's no way he'd ever want to see me."

"No, he wants to see you. He's just…," muttered the hanyou as he tried to come up with a likely excuse that would keep Inuyasha from having a date with Kagome. _Damn, I have no idea how long I'm going to be stuck as a girl and I doubt my bastard brother will help me change back into a guy._

"Just?"

"Out of town?" whispered Shaya as she looked sheepishly at her roommate.

Kagome only sighed as she got up off of Shaya's futon. "Lie down, girl. I need to tuck you into bed."

"Wait, wait," murmured Shaya as Kagome only quirked an eyebrow at her behavior. "He recently left on a trip to China with Dad. He'll be back. I'll e-mail him. I'll get you a date!" _Dad always wanted me to attend his business meetings in Hong Kong…_

"He's in China?" asked Kagome with a smug look that belied her disbelief.

"Yes, and he'll be so happy to go out on a date with you. Just let me set it up!"

Kagome only sighed and smiled at her roommate. The miko knelt next to her on the floor and tucked the thick futon covers around the hanyou's form. "If you actually manage to convince your brother to go on a date with me, then I will gladly accept. But please…"

"Please what…?" asked the perplexed silver-haired goddess.

"Ask him not to ignore me or treat me like I'm beneath him. He's not like you, Shaya." Kagome looked up at Shaya, and her eyes seemed to water again.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hands in his. _Is that what she thinks of me? She thinks I ignore her? Dammit, I've done nothing but think about her for the last two years! How could she think that? _"I'll make sure that I talk to him. OK?" asked Shaya. He looked up at Kagome's watery eyes and smiled shyly. He was soon rewarded with a brilliant smile that warmed him from the inside.

Kagome only looked up at her and kissed her quickly on the cheek before she finished tucking her in. His roommate didn't notice Shaya's reaction, but with her back turned, Inuyasha cupped his own cheek where the miko had just kissed him. _Our first kiss…_ Another goofy smile erupted across his face as he lay down contentedly and watched his roommate turn off the lights from across the room.

* * *

Inuyasha had recently awoken and was trying to decide what to wear this morning. He grimaced as he picked up the annoying cotton garment from his chest of drawers. He had tried to find the least offensive piece of cloth in the collection. While looking over black lace, pink satin and red lycra—the closest thing he could find to his regular cotton briefs was in his hands. It was a girl's white cotton panty with an obnoxious pink bow that bedecked the front.

He cussed softly as he pulled off the briefs he had been wearing for the past two days. After PE classes and masturbating his underwear had a certain odor that even he could no longer stomach. He was going to need to put something else on.

_Well, I've been wearing a skirt since yesterday! This is just another fucking thing I have to do!_ Inuyasha didn't look at himself as he tugged the new, clean underwear on. It was too humiliating to even contemplate that he was wearing a girl's panty._ If only I had money to do laundry. Then I could wash these briefs and wear them again._ This time Inuyasha cussed Sesshomaru's name under his breath. _I'm going to get back at that goddamned bastard when this is all over! Just wait Sesshoumaru!_

Inuyasha sat down on his futon to put on his blouse, tie, skirt and long white socks. Today he neglected to put on a bra and tried his best to fumble into his blouse without Kagome noticing that he was '_al naturale_'. If Kagome found out, she would try to dress him again. As much as he didn't mind having her hands on his body—the idea of wearing a bra was just as repulsive as the girl's panties he was sporting. He pulled on the miniskirt, tied his necktie and pulled up his long white socks. Shaya grabbed her Mary Jane loafers and red backpack. "Ready, Kagome?" the hanyou asked.

For the first time since he had started to put his clothes on, he noticed Kagome dressing. He had been avoiding her gaze in an attempt to hide the fact that he wasn't wearing a bra. Then he dropped both his shoes and his backpack.

His mouth suddenly went dry, and his skin seemed to heat of it's own accord as he drank in the sight of a nearly naked Kagome.

Once again, she was bending over in front of him, shimming into satiny, pink panties. He glimpsed a lovely view of the heaven that was between her thighs before she pulled up the silky cloth. _Damn! How long was she naked in front of me and I wasn't watching?!_

Inuyasha's eyes roamed down her nude backside and watched as a matching pink bra was slowly pulled on. He tried not to frown as her lovely breasts and long legs were soon covered by her school uniform. _Well, at least the skirt still gives me a wonderful view of her legs._

Kagome had managed to pull up her long white socks and seemed to be having trouble with her red necktie. Inuyasha slowly smiled to himself. _She did help me with putting on my clothes yesterday. I can just return the favor…_

Without truly thinking, because he probably would have chickened out if he had thought it out, Inuyasha made his way to Kagome and pulled the ends of the necktie toward him.

"I've got it," murmured Shaya with a pleased tone of voice.

Kagome stopped to look up at the hanyou who was standing tall in front of her, adjusting her tie. At first, Kagome seemed confused, but soon a brilliant smile beamed across her face. "Thank you so much for helping Shaya. Sometimes my fingers are so clumsy in the morning, and I can't even tie a bow."

"Don't worry about it," added the silver-haired girl as she tied a red bow and patted it down on the front of Kagome's blouse. It was at that moment that Shaya stiffened momentarily when she recalled where her hand had been. _God, if I could only touch her like that while she's naked!_

Shaya tried to act normally as she strode across the room to pick up her red backpack. _Stop thinking about it! The last thing I need to do is to pitch a tent in a mini-skirt._ The hanyou turned and looked over her shoulder to see Kagome's puzzled expression. His roommate only tilted her head to the side as if to question his behavior before she blew her bangs and grabbed her large yellow backpack.

"I'm ready if you are," the miko said while smiling up at him.

Shaya couldn't help the goofy smile that overcame her features. He never smiled that much, but now that he was with Kagome--he couldn't help it. Things seemed so much lighter with her around, and try as he might, he couldn't really think of anyone else he would rather be with. Shaya extended out a hand to his roommate, while the other grabbed his Mary Jane shoes. "Come on, let's get breakfast!"

Kagome only nodded happily and gripped the hanyou's clawed hand in hers as they made their way out the of the dorm room.

* * *

Water poured down from several showerheads, filling the large room with hot steam and making it hard to breathe. Kouga let his head fall back, savoring the warmth on his skin. Soft, feminine giggles reached his ears, and he opened his eyes.

Looking around, he couldn't see anything clearly through the haze of steam but he made out several indistinct figures a few feet away from where he stood. Intrigued, Kouga stepped away from the shower. As he carefully approached the shadowy forms, the giggles that tickled his ears turned into soft moans of pleasure, and the fog started to dissipate slowly.

The first thing he noticed about the figures he had glimpsed was that they were a group of girls — _naked_ girls. His gaze focused on two blondes standing on the left side of the group. He could swear he knew them from somewhere. Hadn't he seen the one with blue highlights in her hair in his history class? _Yep, that's her._ His eyes bulged in their sockets as his brain finally registered what they were doing. _They're kissing?!_

He gulped audibly. As he watched stupefied, the blonde with the blue highlights caught his eye. She winked at him as she trailed her hand down her companion's plump breasts, across her smooth belly and then delved it between her thighs. The other girl broke the kiss immediately and cried out, "Kouga!" The call of his name rang in his ears, and he hardened instantly. Drooling at the sight, he made to move toward them, but stopped when he heard his name from another couple.

He looked to his right only to see another couple facing him. A girl with chin-length black hair was looking at him with half-lidded eyes; her lips sucked on the fingers of the brown-haired girl standing behind her. He licked his lips when the latter took her fingers out and lowered them slowly as the former widened her legs. As those delicate fingers disappeared between her folds, the black-haired girl cried out his name again, followed with a soft 'please.' In a daze and painfully hard at the moment, he took a step toward them, but stopped once again at the sound of another moan, this time coming from the group in the middle.

His gaze settled on a beauty with long, raven hair and even longer legs. She sat lying on the ground, her legs spread wide apart and her head thrown back in ecstasy. A demoness with fiery red hair crouched behind her, kissing her feverishly, causing the dark-haired girl's succulent breasts to wobble hypnotizingly with each movement. Kouga's gaze traveled down to focus on another fair-haired girl with long locks between the raven-haired girl's legs. She sat on her knees, her face buried in the treasure between those silky legs. Her ass hovered in the air, presenting the horny wolf-demon the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Mesmerized, he stepped forward.

His gaze flickered upwards when the ebony-haired beauty severed her lips from the redhead's and whispered his name, "Kouga." His azure eyes locked with Kagome's chocolate ones, and the girl licked her lips. The redhead moved down to suck on the miko's breasts. _Is that Ayame sucking on Kagome?_ The miko moaned out loud and threw her head back. Her hand came down to clutch on the other fair-haired girl's head between her legs. Following the movement of her hand with his gaze, Kouga once more focused on the lucky vixen happily eating Kagome's pussy. The vixen's ass danced before him, taunting him, beckoning him to fuck her. Unable to take this torture anymore, Kouga came to stand behind the girl with platinum blonde hair. His erection bobbed to touch the lovely backside he wanted to fuck.

He put his hands on both sides of the vixen's back, enjoying the feel of its silky, wet texture. He groaned at the sight of her dripping sex right in his range. "I'm so going to enjoy fucking you, baby," murmured Kouga as he gave a squeeze to her shapely buttocks. Then, he moved his stiff shaft between the girl's firm, round cheeks.

"Not as much as I'll enjoy fucking you," the girl murmured against Kagome's folds, making the dark haired girl moan in pleasure. Suddenly, she turned her head to give the wolf-demon a seductive wink. Kouga's hands froze, and his eyes widened in horror as the _girl's _face came to his sight. The lovely voluptuous beauty had the curves of a woman, but the face of a man—in fact the face of his buddy! "Asshole," Inuyasha added with a wicked smirk on his face.

With a terrified scream, the wolf jerked his hands away as if burned and stumbled a few steps back. Losing his balance on the slippery floor, he fell down to lie on his back. Not a second passed before he was sitting up and screaming again. He opened his eyes, fearing to see the smirking face of his friend on a girl's body, but was met with the sight of an empty dorm room.

He passed a trembling hand through his dark locks as he sighed in relief. _Thank God, it was a nightmare!_ He took a few shaky breaths to calm down before anger swelled in his chest. He brought his fist down on the futon with enough force to almost leave a dent on the floor. _Great! I'm so fucking traumatized, now I'm hitting on my buddy even in my dreams! Just fucking great!_

He shuddered at the memory of his buddy's dripping sex within his reach before forcefully chasing the image from his head. He looked at his desk to see the red light of his alarm clock blinking at him. He had less than fifteen minutes to get ready for the class. A look to his left proved that his roommate was already gone. Scowling, he stood up and walked to his closet to retrieve his uniform with a certain feeling of doom pooling in his stomach.

Holding the dreaded garment in his hand, he turned to see his image in the full-length mirror. His chin dropped at the sight before him. There stood a dark-haired chick wearing only a pair of black boxers on her luscious body. Her plump breasts screamed to be touched as he gazed at them with wide eyes. He shook his head, trying to pry his eyes off of his figure. _Damn! It'll be hard to get used to this._

Traveling up, his eyes landed on the collar adorning his neck. He scowled at the hated object that reminded him of his disgrace the day before. _Submit!_ _Couldn't the witch have found another word?! As if I would ever submit to anyone! _So, he would either wear a skirt, or accept being thrown to the ground with that stupid command. Honestly, he would take the collar any day. He was a wolf-demon; he wasn't afraid of eating dirt. If only it hadn't been _that_ word…

He looked at the green skirt in his hand and then back at the mirror as he muttered to himself, "Skirt or submit? Skirt or submit?" It was a hard decision to make. Which one was more demeaning? He knew that Inuyasha would enjoy his shame if he wore the skirt. On the other hand, the half-demon would not pass the chance to tease him if he was subdued again and again if he did not wear the damn cloth.

He continued to mumble as he debated with himself, "Skirt or submit? Skirt or submit… submit…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes traveled down the image in the mirror. He couldn't help it, dammit! That word reminded him of things other than eating dirt! And, he hadn't had any for so long! Rather pleasing images from his nightmare flashed before his eyes as his gaze landed on the perfectly rounded hips in the mirror.

Before he knew what he was doing, he turned his back to the mirror and pushed his ass back. What he saw was a sexy dark-haired bitch submitting to him as her half-lidded blue eyes begged for his attention. He shook his ass and the girl in the mirror mimicked the action. He opened his mouth, and the girl whispered, "Oh, Kouga! I'm so horny. Won't you please fuck me?"

He smirked at the girl, but before he could answer, the door opened. His head snapped in the direction of the intruder to see Ayame standing by the door with an eyebrow raised as if to question his subservient position on the floor. "I-I…" Kouga stuttered before he was able to speak again. "I was looking for my condoms," he blurted out.

The girl wrinkled her nose and scrunched her face in revulsion. "What are you planning to do with condoms in an all girls school and on a school day no less, Kori?" she asked.

Kori shrugged sheepishly as she came to her feet. "You never know what fate will bring, girl."

The redhead rolled her eyes and shouldered her bag that had been resting against the desk. Turning to leave, she stopped and checked out her roommate pointedly. "Will you please put something on to cover yourself while you sleep?" she chastised. "I don't appreciate unnecessary nudity. That's exhibitionism, if you ask me." She strolled to the door before adding, "Why do you think I'm not sharing a room with Kagome?"

Confused, Kori asked, "Why?"

"Because she's such an exhibitionist," muttered Ayame as she left the room.

_She's such an…_ Once the meaning of his roommate's words sank in, Kouga cursed his luck for the umpteenth time since he had arrived in this place. _Damn you Inuyasha! You get free peeks!_

Finally managing to put her uniform on, Kori made her way to her classroom, all the while grumbling under her breath as the green skirt danced with each step she took. She entered the classroom apprehensively. There, just as she expected, was Shaya, sitting on her desk and chatting with her 'beloved' roommate.

Kouga walked to his desk soundlessly, trying not to alert his friend to his presence. His struggle turned out to be in vain, though. The moment the wolf-demon approached his desk, the hanyou turned to look at him, his nose twitching as he did so. _Damn dog demons! They never miss a scent!_

Kouga blanched as the hanyou's eyes widened a fraction at the sight of him before a mischievous glint lit in them. "Hey, Kore-ree," greeted Shaya.

Kori glanced at the white-haired girl from the corner of her eye, already knowing what was coming.

"Nice skirt, she wolf," said the half-demon without even trying to hide her snicker.

"Shut up, mutt-face," growled the she wolf under her breath. She sat on her chair with an audible huff and a cute pout. Kori decided to ignore her best friend for the rest of the day.

* * *

For the rest of the morning, Kagome, Shaya and Kori were in class together. Inuyasha found it odd that his normally talkative buddy, Kouga, was avoiding him. Whenever, they met each other's gaze Kouga would only scowl and look away. By the time lunch rolled around, Inuyasha had had enough of Kouga's surly behavior. _I have to wear a damned skirt, too. The damn wolf better snap out of it!_

While Shaya held both his and Kagome's bento boxes in his hands. He maneuvered through the crowd to the table where Kori sat by herself, brooding.

"Hey, Kori. What's up?" asked Shaya with a questioning look on her face.

Kori only groaned into his meal and before he looked up at Shaya.

"I…I can't deal with this today Shaya!" muttered Kori under his breath as she studiously avoided the hanyou.

Shaya steadfastly ignored all of the cues of discontent that his friend was sending out. Inuyasha was usually the one who was in a bad mood, and Kouga was always there to cheer him up. Despite being stuck in an all girls school and having to wear a mini-skirt, Inuyasha was actually feeling pretty good for once. He had unfettered access to Kagome, had seen her naked at least once a day and was able to walk around with her like he was her 'boyfriend'--just in disguise.

There was a silly smile on Shaya's face as she motioned for Kagome to join them. The miko only looked at the two girls warily and raised an eyebrow at Kori's rude behavior.

"So, is something bothering you, Kor-ree?" asked Shaya. She picked up some ramen noodles with her chopsticks and proceeded to stuff her face in a very unladylike manner.

"Yes, asshole!" sneered Kori as she looked at Shaya with utter revulsion on her face. "And don't come near me again! I… I can't stand what has happened to us. And you're… You're a bitch!"

Shaya only swallowed her ramen and quirked an eyebrow at his buddy. Kouga often went off and insulted him whenever he was having a really, bad day. In fact, the last time Kouga was this rude was when the boy hadn't been laid for a while. Shaya counted the days mentally since the wolf had bedded Kagura. _Let's see. The fiasco at the casino... The meeting with my bastard brother and getting turned into a girl... Two more days of classes... Hey, he hasn't been laid in…oh…four days has it been? _

Kori continued while Shaya looked on with a small frown on her face. "Don't fucking come near me. You bastard—bitch!"

Shaya was about to tell Kouga to chill out and deal with the situation like a man when Kagome interrupted.

"How dare you!" the girl yelled.

Shaya stopped for a moment to slurp more noodles into his mouth. _What is she so upset about? Kouga always acts like this when he hasn't been laid._

Kori looked up at the miko, and the wolf demon's scowl softened as their eyes met.

"How can you treat Shaya that way?" asked Kagome with a hand raised to her breast and her lips parted slightly.

Kouga could only gaze at her red lips and Kagome's tongue, which wetted the soft tissue before she continued speaking. Without even trying, images from his dream popped into Kouga's head. All he could imagine was Kagome lying naked on the ground in front of him, moaning his name.

Inuyasha caught the dazed look on the wolf demon's face, picked up the scent of his arousal and growled. However, both Kouga and Kagome were oblivious to Shaya's sounds of displeasure.

"I thought Shaya was your girlfriend! You should treat her better! You shouldn't call her names and belittle her!"

Kori reared back as if Kagome had spewed forth the vilest of words.

"Girlfriend?!" Kori's lips trembled in absolute horror. _No, she knows! Maybe I said something while I slept? Kagome knows that I had a dream about having sex with my buddy? My friend, who is a guy... Oh God! I feel so fucking sick. No! _"Shaya is not my fucking girlfriend! Why in the hell would you think I would want her around me?! She's a stuttering idiot!"

Kori promptly changed her demeanor and pulled out her ponytail and put two fingers up on either side of her head in an attempt to create fake ears. "Oh Ka-ka-ka-go-me... I…I…I ca-ca-ca-can't ah-ah-ah-vah-ven spa-spa-speak…" Kori just laughed at her joke and missed the venomous look Kagome was giving him and the bored frown from the hanyou. The wolf-demon then turned to look back at Kagome who was breathing heavily in anger. _Damn girl… Now you on the other hand, you can get close to me any day! I'd love to see your naked ass in front of me!_

Kori's lips were a mere fraction away from Kagome's. Kouga looked down at the passionate girl. _Man, she looks hot when she's angry. I wonder what she's like in bed?_ The growls coming from Shaya were increasing in volume, but neither combatant noticed the escalating noise.

Kouga was entertaining thoughts of grabbing Kagome by the shoulders in order to pull her lips next to his and to start a battle of their tongues in a more intimate manner when the girl yelled in his face.

"You…you…backstabbing…cruel…vindictive…witch!" screamed Kagome. Kori was taken aback as the miko's lips trembled and the tears that started to form at the edges of her eyes.

"Wha-what?" asked Kori aghast. _Where did her tears come from? Didn't she think it was funny? _Kouga looked at Inuyasha with a perplexed look on his face, somehow hoping that the hanyou could shed some light on the matter. But, the wolf demon's confusion grew even further when he saw a self-satisfied smile gracing the silver-haired goddess' lips and the look of utter contentment that positively shone from the hanyou's face as she looked at Kagome.

"And you call yourself a friend? How can you treat Shaya so cruelly?! She deserves better than that!" uttered Kagome in fury and disbelief. The young woman grabbed Shaya by the hand and pulled the hanyou girl after her. "Come on, Shaya. You shouldn't have to put up with this."

Shaya only watched mesmerized as Kagome's skirt flipped side to side as she tried to march away. The hanyou grinned happily as she noticed that more of the miko's creamy thighs were coming into view while she fumed.

"Later, Kor-ree" mumbled Shaya as she picked up her lunch. The hanyou's other hand was pulled by the errant schoolgirl who was walking out of the building.

Kori dropped back down on her seat as if defeated. He didn't want to insult his longtime friend. The guy who shared virtually every highjink they were in over the past two years. The only guy who stood by his side, thick or thin. But right now, he couldn't stand to be near him. After that dream he had, he wanted nothing more than to put as much space as possible between him and his buddy. And more than anything, he needed to get laid. _If I fuck a girl, I can get this out of my system! It's just because I haven't had some good pussy in four goddamn days!_

The jarring sound of a bento box clattering to the table beside him brought Kouga out of his reverie. Kouga picked up the spicy aroma of cinnamon coming from the wolf demoness.

"What's up roomie?" asked Ayame. "You look down."

_Well, well. Speak of the devil. She might be too much of a dominating bitch. But hell, I really could use a quick lay._ "Hey, Ayame. Yeah, I really need someone to talk to…" _Maybe if I pull the sympathy card, I can get her in bed? _"I feel so awful. I just got into a fight with my best friend…"

* * *

After falling asleep in math class, Inuyasha found himself being dragged to the locker room once more. Seeing the wolf-demon already sitting on one of the benches with an expectant grin on his face, Shaya grumbled under her breath as she found her locker next to Kagome's. Inuyasha placed himself within Kori's line of sight, expertly blocking the wolf's view of the miko. However, the hanyou's efforts were in vain, because surprisingly, Kori seemed to have no intention of looking in their direction. _Lucky for him… That damn bastard has an overstuffed libido._

Adjusting the strings of his sweats, Inuyasha pushed the doors of the locker room open. He shielded his eyes from the afternoon sun shining brightly over the field and looked for his roommate. He saw her among a cluster of human girls on one side of the field. A few feet away, demons formed another group. _Great. I'm a hanyou. Where do I go?_

He sighed tiredly as he made his way to the middle of the field. _Which group do I belong to?_ That was the question of his life. The question he still didn't have an answer to. It was just like elementary school again. People grouped based on their kind. He had always been left in the middle, not knowing where to go. It was only after he had his first fight that he knew where he stood. He stood alone. There were the others — humans and demons — and there was him. Lately, he had been lucky enough to have Kouga by his side. Surely, the wolf demon wasn't a perfect friend, but he had been a real friend none-the-less. Their families brought them together, and at first, Kouga hadn't been happy to hang out with a half-breed. But, the wolf proved to be a true friend in the end.

Looking up, his gaze landed on the many girls standing in the field. _Girls._ They had always been reluctant to approach him due to his mixed heritage. He hadn't cared about it at first, until he met _her._ Solemn golden eyes found the raven-haired beauty standing with the group of humans. She was the first and only girl he gave a fuck about. But, she was one of them — one of the perfect ones that had a place in this world. It was because she was so flawless that he felt inferior next to her. He was a half-demon, an outsider. He would always be one step behind her and he didn't know what to do to reach her level. He had always been terrified of making things worse every time he opened his mouth, and like a self-fulfilling prophecy, he stuttered like an idiot due to his insecurities. A small smile lifted from the corners of his lips as he remembered their conversation from last night. Things would be different from now on. Nothing really changed; she was still perfect, and he was still a hanyou. But now, he knew that she had no idea how wonderful she was. She was no more confident than he. Perhaps, perhaps she wouldn't realize that he was inferior to her if he finally approached her?

He was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he reached his destination until he bumped into something. Something short, fat and it smelled like... _Salt?_

"Watch where you're going, girl!" Hearing the squeaky voice, he looked down to see Coach Haori glaring daggers at him. That explained the scent of salt. This woman was known to be a crazy priestess who preferred to use salt instead of the subjugation collars against disobedient demon students. "Why are you stalling? Go, join your friends already," the elderly woman said as she waved her crinkled hand toward the cluster of human girls. _Was that a scroll in her hand?_

"Umm, are you sure?" asked the confused hanyou.

"Why? Aren't you a human?" asked the coach, leaving Inuyasha open-mouthed at her ignorance.

_Human? Do I look like a fucking human?! Is this hag for real?! _He blinked twice under the serious gaze of the old woman. _Yep, she meant it. She's mental!_

He might not know where he belonged, but he did know that he wasn't a weak human, dammit! He opened his mouth to tell her that, but he was cut short by the shrill sound of the coach's whistle ringing right in front of him. As he tried to cover his ears, the coach stopped making the painful noise and shouted, "Stop gawking at me and go join your friends! Shoo!"

Fed up with the woman's idiocy, Inuyasha cried out, "Dammit! Are you blind?! I'm not human, you…!"

Before he could blurt out the string of curses waiting at the tip of his tongue, Coach Haori leaned toward him and peeked at him with her eyes scrunched up in suspicion. "Are you sure you're not human?"

"What?! Even if you are blind, can't you at least sense my aura?!" he asked incredulously.

"I don't sense anything from you," murmured the old hag. "And, what is an aura, anyway? Never heard of it."

"Just forget it," he spat out exasperatedly. "I'm a hanyou, all right? Now, will you tell me where I need to go?"

"Hanyou?" she asked as she looked him once over. Finally noticing his ears twitching atop his head in irritation, her eyes lit up and she nodded her head. "We're practicing judo today. With your demonic blood, you'll do better with the demons."

"Finally," Inuyasha grumbled and turned to join his group, happy to get away from the scent of salt. He knew it was harmless, but it tickled his nose.

In less than two minutes, Inuyasha found himself facing Kouga in the middle of the field — his sparring partner. A huge grin broke out on the hanyou's face as he cracked his knuckles excitedly. _How long has it been since I've had a decent fight?_ He had been laying low since the casino and Naraku's bullies. _This is going to be fun. _Besides, he still had a bone to pick with wolf-shit for ogling _his_ Kagome earlier. _Keh! _He shrugged his shoulders to relax, and with the speed his father's genes bestowed on him, he threw a kick toward his friend's mid-section.

He ended up doing a 360-degree turn when his foot met nothing but air. The demon had jumped away in time to avoid the blow. _Damn, Kouga. He has speed even if he has nothing else._ Still excited with the promise of a real fight, he attacked once more, and yet again, the wolf jumped back. After six unsuccessful attempts, Inuyasha was more frustrated than excited.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, wolf-shit? Afraid that you'll break a nail?" taunted the hanyou.

"You wish, mutt-face," countered Kouga as he dodged another blow aimed for his head.

"Then quit running away like a girl and fight like a man," hissed Inuyasha at his friend with growing anger. _What is wrong with this idiot? I need this fight, dammit!_

"Oh, no," breathed the said idiot as he jumped a few feet away from his opponent. "You're not coming anywhere near me, Shaa-yaa," he drawled before adding, "I won't let you touch me. Not after last night." He shuddered visibly, confusing the hanyou even more.

"What was that?" asked Inuyasha, oblivious to his friend's traumatic experience.

"Never mind. Besides, I do not hit girls."

"What the…?!" Flabbergasted, Inuyasha watched with an open mouth as Kori went to the coach, holding her stomach as if in pain. His ears twitched atop his head and he scrunched up his face in revulsion when he heard their conversation. _I can't believe it!_ This was outrageous. This was absurd. But, his ears never wronged him. _The idiot said he's _PMS'ing_! What the hell?!_

His disbelieving gaze followed Kori as the wolf demon strolled to the stands, sat down and sent a wicked grin in his direction. Inuyasha shook his head in utter confusion. Since when did Kouga prefer acting like a girl rather than a man? _PMS'ing?! Unbelievable! Disgusting! Humiliating!_ A smirk slowly pulled one side of his lip up. _Abso-fucking-lutely hilarious! _He was so going to enjoy throwing it back at that sorry excuse of a man!

"Sorry, girl," said the coach to the smirking hanyou, demanding his attention. "No partner, no sparring. You'll have to sit this one out. "

Despite her amusement, the dog-eared girl cursed her luck once more for missing such a great chance to work out some of her frustrations. While she grumbled under her breath, an all too familiar voice shouted from the other side of the field. "I can spar with her!"

Inuyasha turned to see the source of his frustrations walking toward him in pink, tight yoga pants and a white wife-beater that left almost nothing to his imagination — not that he needed to imagine things; he had already seen everything. The hypnotizing sway of those pink-clad hips — just the perfect size for his hands, he couldn't help but think — stopped right in front of him, and the temptress turned to face the coach.

"Yuka says she has a cramp in her leg. So, I don't have a partner either," said his roommate.

The coach looked from her to the half-demon and then back at her. "But, Higurashi, you're not in the same league. Are you sure?"

The girl smiled confidently as she nodded. "Don't worry, sensei. I'm tough; I can handle it," she said, puffing her chest. "Besides, I don't think my roommate would really want to hurt me," she added with a playful wink at the gaping hanyou.

"Very well, then. Go on." With that, the older woman left the two students to their own devices.

Facing Kagome, all Shaya could do was blink stupidly as the girl took stance in front of him. _What now? _Was he supposed to kick her butt when all he wanted to do with that butt was… He shook his head to clear it when he heard his 'opponent' ask if he was ready. Taking his action as a sign of approval, the girl sent a flying kick at his torso. The disoriented hanyou was caught off-guard and did not have the time to dodge the attack. He did not show any outward signs of pain, but it hurt, dammit! _Man, can she kick or what?!_

Kagome seemed eager to get on with the exercise, but how could he hit her? She was so delicate! He wanted to hold her, caress her, protect her from any harm--and he definitely did _not_ want to hit her! After receiving two more kicks during his pondering, he ended up dodging her attacks much like Kouga had done with him.

Seeing his reluctance to fight, Kagome decided to taunt him. "Come on, Shaya! I thought you would be tougher than me. Are you afraid?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Inuyasha smirked at that. His bitch was defying him, and he wasn't one to back down when challenged. "You asked for it," he said and launched at her. She threw her leg toward him once more, but he was faster. In the blink of an eye, he had her on her back. It took him two seconds to realize that he had ended up between her legs, his lips a hairs-breadth away from hers.

Surprised, she blinked at him as he lost himself in her deep chocolate eyes and the tantalizing smell of her breath. Shaking off her shock, Kagome raised one leg around his while he was distracted. The feel of her breasts pushing up against his chest and her leg around his was too much, and he unconsciously thrust his hips toward hers. Luckily, she chose that moment to make her move, and Inuyasha found himself lying on his back with Kagome straddling his hips.

"Gotcha!" the miko cried as she pressed Shaya's arms down.

His heart skipped a beat when he registered the position they were in. Her tantalizing fragrance mixed with sweat on his nose and the pressure of her core on his hips was driving him crazy. It took the patience of a saint not to thrust his hips up as she looked down at him with that triumphant smile on her face. _Damn! Too kissable for her own good._ He dug his claws into the earth to keep himself from doing something a girl wouldn't do, but alas, whatever he did, the distance between their faces continued to diminish.

Luckily, a loud crashing sound followed by an 'ouch' coming from the stands took Kagome off of him. Jumping up, she turned to the stands just like everyone else. The girl chuckled in amusement before she muttered, "I guess Kori just met Miroku."

Still a little dazed, Inuyasha sat up to see what the commotion was about. A black-haired boy lay on the stands with his hand on his eye and a stupid grin on his face. Meanwhile, an enraged Kori stomped off to the locker room.

End Chapter 4

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Hey, don't blame us for the yuri in this chapter. It was all Kouga's fault! Honest! (Authors hide behind Kori's skirt clad form.)_

_#2: Sexual harassment is a term we know about in America, but it is really a foreign term in Japan. If you consider a character like Miroku who regularly gropes women (and who was actually created by a female writer), you can probably start to see the bigger picture._

_#3: Yes, we finally stopped Inuyasha's stuttering (which was caused by his nervousness around Kagome). After he talked to Kagome (at the beginning of this chapter) and realized that she was a girl with the same insecurities that he had. Inuyasha finally feels at ease with Kagome. _


	5. A Trip to the Mall

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

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_**Warnings:** Please do not read if you find swearing or sexual situations disturbing. Trust me, we just find them immensely fun and entertaining—and we hope you do, too.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: _

_Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger and Theleb K'aarna!_

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_Co-authored by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi_

**Chapter 5: A Trip to the Mall**

Finally, the day was taking a turn for the better. Leaning back on his seat, Kouga clasped his hands behind his neck and decided to enjoy the show as much as he could. It wasn't as good as the showers, which he knew he would be enjoying in less than an hour, but it was still a nice scene. _Chick fight! Damn! Who wouldn't want to see this?!_

He was having a good time, all right. His only problem was that he did not know where to look. He had never seen so many girls fighting before. Each time a leg was thrown in the air, a lovely bottom would become more pronounced under the tight workout pants that they wore. He grinned in bliss and settled comfortably into his seat.

"My, my, look at that beauty," he heard someone say behind him. "Buddha must have heard my prayers. What a beautiful scene to bless my poor eyes with on such an ordinary day!"

Kouga snickered in amusement at the guy's voice. _Yep, buddy. It sure is a blessing._ Apparently, he wasn't the only lucky soul in the stands.

His ears caught the voice of his hanyou friend, and he looked at the direction it came from. He cursed inwardly, seeing Inuyasha practicing against Kagome. _Lucky bastard._ Suddenly, the half-demon had the girl trapped under him, and Kouga jumped to his feet with his mouth hanging open. The wolf blinked, and the dog was lying under the girl in a compromising position. _Damn that asshole! Why is he always getting to be the one that has the most fun?!_

He started growling in irritation, but he stopped immediately at the feel of something on his… _ass? What the…?! _He looked down, and there was a hand squeezing his bottom. His wide eyes trailed up to the owner of the offending object. He saw a teenaged boy with short, dark-hair and violet eyes smiling pleasantly at him.

"Please call me Miroku, my lady," said the voice Kouga heard a few minutes ago. "It's such a pleasure to meet y-…" Miroku was cut short as the wolf demon finally managed to gather his bearings and threw a punch at the boy's face.

A loud crash and a painful 'ouch' resounded as Kouga stomped off to the locker rooms. However, the wolf demon was too shocked to see or hear anything. All he could think was…

_I was groped… by a _guy?_!_

* * *

After he had finally had his shower, Inuyasha found his way back to his dorm room and that delectable scent known as Kagome. He had been annoyed by the scents Kouga had been giving off all day whenever he was near _his_ miko. The half-demon wasn't going to stand for that. So, he gave up his chance to shower with the girl of his dreams in favor of keeping the wolf demon locked in a janitor's closet while the girls showered. He didn't pay any mind to Kouga's surly attitude while the two friends showered alone once the girls had vacated the site. He smirked as he recalled how wolf-shit had pointedly ignored him or avoided looking at him in the locker room. _Fucking bastard! _If Inuyasha had any say in it, neither that horny demon, nor any other guy was going to see his girl naked. _Keh! Take that, assholes!_

He was surprised to see his roommate checking her purse as she finished up a phone call. "Yeah, Sango. I'll meet you there soon," the miko replied as she flipped her cell phone shut. His roommate quickly turned around and gave the hanyou girl one of her most brilliant smiles. "Hey, Shaya! Want to head out with Sango and me?" asked Kagome as she put her cell phone back into her purse.

Shaya blinked and shifted from one leg to another. "Oh, I uh…I uh have no money," said the hanyou girl awkwardly as she eyed the ground. _My damn brother took my car keys, and my credit cards no longer work._

Kagome looked down at her roommate with a note of worry on her face. "Oh, Shaya, I'm sorry. Don't worry. I'll spot you! I'll even buy you some ice cream. Come on, girl!" Kagome's arms quickly wrapped themselves around Shaya's as the miko led the half-demon out of the room.

"But, but…where are we going?" asked Shaya.

"We're going to hang out at the mall," answered the brown-eyed girl with a smile.

Inuyasha considered it. Hanging out at the mall meant playing video games, checking out the latest electronics and getting something to eat. That actually sounded like fun and he could do that with the beautiful miko he had a crush on! It was almost like they were on a date! His cheeks dusted with color as he looked down at their joined arms and where their hips swished next to each other as they walked. Shaya held her head high; she could get used to this!

They made their way to the subway station near the school and exited at Roppongi station in downtown Tokyo. Shaya glanced up at the tall skyscrapers that loomed above her and smiled as she looked down at Kagome, who linked arms with her.

"Right over here!" Kagome called out, nearly squealing. Inuyasha grimaced and he nearly broke away from the girl because of her high pitched voice was grating on his sensitive hearing. She was pointing to the entrance of one of the most famous shopping malls in Tokyo—Roppongi Hills. Inuyasha didn't like shopping, but it was home to some of the best video and electronics stores in Japan. He was about to head inside to try to find his favorite Pachinko venue when Kagome led him to an ice cream shop. "I told you that I would buy you ice cream!" She giggled as they walked into the shop and perused the selections.

Shaya grimaced. He really didn't want a girl paying for him; it went against his instincts. But, he didn't have a single 'yen' on him. He looked over at his gorgeous roommate wistfully as she tried to decide what to get.

"Do you think I should get melon or sweet potato ice cream?" she asked. Inuyasha tried not to make a face, but failed miserably. "What?!" she asked while turning a bemused smile in his direction.

"How about something normal, like vanilla?" Shaya asked while crossing her arms.

"No, everybody gets vanilla. I want something different. What about tofu flavor?" Shaya grimaced at her suggestion. "Green tea?"

"You've got to be kidding me," he panned as he looked over the flavors and tried to find something that appealed to him. "I'll just get a vanilla cone."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "You have no sense of adventure." She walked up to the front counter and ordered a green tea and a vanilla ice cream cone.

"Thanks," added Shaya as 'she' blushed. Kagome was buying her an ice cream cone. He made a promise to himself that when this was over he would be taking her out and paying for everything. It was so embarrassing to have a girl pay for him—especially a pretty girl that he hoped to impress… _But it's not like she knows I'm a guy…_

Shaya looked at the teenage boy behind the counter, who had a silly half-smile on his face. The hanyou found that the man was looking at her funny. The clerk's cheeks were tinged pink, and he was looking at Shaya in a really odd way. The kid was obviously embarrassed or something Inuyasha thought as he crossed his arms again, which had the usual effect of pushing up his breasts.

Inuyasha was rather oblivious to the way his ample breasts and darkened nipples were visible through the thin fabric of his white blouse. The young boy's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. The youth couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Shaya as he went about his work getting them ice cream cones. _This is getting really annoying. What?! Do I have—a stain on my shirt?_

Shaya turned to look down at her blouse and couldn't find anything amiss. She shrugged in puzzlement before she walked up to Kagome who was at the cash register.

"What do you mean free?" asked Kagome while looking at a teenage boy who must have recently entered the store.

The tall, handsome boy grinned at the two girls and his gaze seemed to stop and linger on Shaya. The teenager had short black hair and determined, yet vacant brown eyes. He was dressed in a traditional kendo kimono and had a bokken strapped to his side. "I cannot help but to buy ice-cream for ladies as lovely as yourselves," said the young man. The boy stood high and proud as he produced a 5,000 Yen note with a flourish and handed it to the clerk behind the counter.

_Goddamned showoff!_ Shaya only snorted and frowned. "We don't need your money, do we Kagome?" countered the beautiful platinum blonde.

"But, but...it's a nice gesture for him to buy us ice cream, and I have to work hard for every yen that I have," answered Kagome in a hushed whisper.

"Oh," replied the lovely hanyou as she stood back and allowed the strange boy to take care of the transaction. The clerk handed both of them an ice cream cone and Inuyasha was surprised to find a ripped up sheet of paper wrapped around his cone.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the proud teenager. The boy promptly bowed to Kagome and Shaya. "I am Tatewaki, Kuno."

Shaya only rolled her eyes at the boy. _The fucker better not make any moves on Kagome while I'm around._

"I would be so honored if you would allow me to sit down with you, 'silver-haired girl'," proffered the boy as he reached for Shaya's hands.

"What? Get the fuck away from me!" yelled Shaya as she forcibly pulled her hands away from Kuno as if he were made of acid. However, the boy didn't seem to get the hint and made another attempt to wrest her hands into his.

"I said don't touch me!" shouted Shaya as her hanyou powered fist made contact with Kuno's jaw. The curvaceous beauty could only look down in disgust as she stepped over the unconscious boy and motioned for Kagome to follow her. _Goddamn pervert!_

The hanyou girl stomped away from the scene with the ice cream still held in her other hand. The cone nearly broke from the pressure as she squeezed it in anger. It wasn't until the two roommates were well away from the scene that Shaya stopped to look at the torn paper that was wrapped around the ice cream cone. "What the hell is this?" the hanyou girl stammered.

Kagome looked at Shaya curiously and helped to unfold the piece of paper. It read, "I'd love to take you out on a date. Call me. Dai. 12 34 5678 9012."

"Oh, the clerk at the store likes you, too," Kagome murmured with glee as she patted Shaya on the back. "See, I told you that you were pretty."

Shaya sputtered and grimaced in abject horror when she figured out what had transpired. _He wants to take me out? I'm a fucking guy! Doesn't he know any better?_ Shaya looked down at her buxom chest and long, shapely legs as a harsh realization overcame her. _Shit, no he doesn't!_ Inuyasha suddenly found that he wasn't hungry for ice cream.

He dumped the ice cream and ripped up the phone number violently before throwing it in the nearest trashcan. He huffed before joining his roommate. _Fucking twerps. Picking up on me. Sick! _The girl's ample breasts jiggled and swayed as she moved, catching the eye of practically any man in the vicinity. Inuyasha never noticed the rapt attention he had garnered from the males that he had walked past.

Kagome made her way to the outside area near a large water fountain and sat down. She patted the concrete space next to her for Shaya to sit. Large, modern art sculptures that looked like towering robots stared down at them. The hanyou cocked her head to the side as she looked at the bizarre mannequins that lined the walkway outside of the center.

"Sango should meet up with us soon," murmured Kagome as she licked her ice cream cone.

Inuyasha nodded wordlessly in agreement, but found himself stopping short because of the vision next to him. Kagome's dainty pink tongue was slowly lapping around the ice cream, licking in concentric circles. He froze as images of her tongue licking another part of his stiff anatomy came to play in his head.

His eyes widened as she murmured her appreciation and gracefully licked around the base of the cone. Then, her tongue licked upwards, taking a long swipe against the delectable treat. He could only look on in envy—wishing that his fantasy from the P.E. bathroom would actually play itself out.

"Kagome! Shaya!" yelled out a girl, breaking him from his daydream.

"Hi Sango!" Kagome called back. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" responded Sango as she smiled broadly.

"Huh?" said a perplexed Shaya.

"It's time to go shopping!" cried out Sango as she high-fived Kagome.

Kagome grinned. "Yes, we need to find the perfect bikini before the school trip to the hot springs."

Shaya's eyes widened like saucers. "Bikini? Hot Springs?" murmured Shaya in disbelief. _This is what we are here for?_

Kagome grabbed Shaya's arms and laced her arm with her. Sango joined in and they were a matching trio of interlaced arms. "Don't you know, Shaya? We're going on a field trip to the Hakone Hot Springs in two weeks. We have to be ready!"

"R-r-ready?" Shaya stammered. His eyes zoomed in on the clothing store that loomed ahead. Through the glass he could see a spectacle of bikini-clad mannequins.

Kagome and Sango sashayed ahead of him looking completely at ease in a store that sold women's lacey undergarments and swimsuits. He tried not to look at the dummies on display near the store's walkways. He decided to look at his feet as he shuffled forward. However, he really should have been looking where he was going. He quickly bumped right into a mannequin with dim eyes, plastic black hair, outstretched arms, and a see-through black negligee. Shaya stepped back in obvious embarrassment as the display's hair jostled and fell off. The female dummy now looked very peculiar with a baldhead and a transparent negligee. Shaya snorted and then actually looked at Kagome and Sango, who were already perusing the racks of tiny bikinis.

Kagome was holding up two different bikinis, but he really couldn't make out what they were besides the colors. It all looked like just a bunch of strings to him. She was holding up something red and something turquoise.

"Hey, Shaya," called Kagome. "Which one do you think will look better one me?" The miko held the tiny garment next to her bosom and seemed to be contemplating how it would look.

Shaya just stood there dumbfounded. For the life of him, he could not imagine the stringy sensation on Kagome's form. There just wasn't enough of the garment for his imagination to process. _Not that it's a bad thing…_

"Uh, I don't know," answered Shaya truthfully. "You can't tell when you look at those things. I mean, they just look like a bunch of string."

Kagome laughed at Shaya's comment and grabbed her arm to pull her toward the dressing rooms. "Then, you'll have to tell me how I look in them!"

Shaya only sputtered as the shorter girl pulled her toward an area that said 'Women Only.'

Kagome opened the door to her dressing room and let Shaya stand outside while she fiddled with taking off her skirt and blouse.

Shaya stood on the other side of the door and heard the rustling of fabric as Kagome undressed. Suddenly, Inuyasha's mind couldn't help but to imagine a very naked Kagome standing just a few feet away from him. He had already seen her in all of her nude glory a few times before, so it wasn't hard to imagine her long slender legs, her curving hips or her perky breasts bouncing as she moved.

Abruptly, Kagome's dressing room door flew open, and she walked out with a tiny, scarlet red string bikini on. His eyes widened in appreciation as he drank in the sight of a nearly nude Kagome, with only a small red patch of cloth covering the junction of her thighs. He looked up to see similar red patches covering the pink-brown areolas that he had gazed on before. The ivory curves of her breasts were on complete display, and it didn't take much of an imagination to see how she would have looked with nothing on.

Inuyasha gulped and finally noticed that the girl before him was tugging on the ends of her bikini bra strings and trying to say something to him.

"Can you just tie this? I can't reach behind my back," said the girl as she turned with her back facing him. The strings were held together in her fists.

"Ohhh, O-Kay," said Shaya with trembling fingers as he grasped the strings and tried to tie a bow. It was very difficult however, because as his fingers tried to work they would invariably touch Kagome's soft skin. It was the very skin that he wanted to caress, stroke, kiss, and… _Fuck! Not helping!_

It took a little longer than it should have for him to tie two sets of strings together. He looked longingly at the thin straps that fell across her back and was startled when the girl turned to face him.

Kagome's mocha eyes fixated on him with a questioningly look.

"What do you think?" she asked as she spun around.

Inuyasha couldn't help but notice that her round, full breasts swayed with her spin. Each time she moved, another portion of the creamy skin of her breasts was revealed from underneath the cloth patches that barely covered her bosom.

_Fucking fantastic. Oh fuck! No one else should see her like this!_ "Ummm, Kagome. Shouldn't you find something that covers more of you?" questioned Shaya. She tried to not let her gaze linger too long on Kagome's form.

Kagome fingered the slender strings that barely held the top in place. "Do…do you think I need to cover up my body because I don't look good? Is it my butt again? Do I look fat?" asked Kagome in a worried tone.

"No, no!" answered Shaya in a panic. "It's just that I was raised to…ahem…cover myself up. Especially on a beach!" Kagome looked up at the hanyou girl with a confused look in her eyes, so Shaya attempted to explain, "Where there could be…men…looking." _No other guy should see you looking like this!_

The miko's eyes widened briefly before she started to giggle. "Oh, are you old fashioned, Shaya?" questioned Kagome.

Shaya decided not to meet Kagome's eyes for fear of revealing too much in her own expression. The hanyou girl quickly nodded.

"Oh," murmured Kagome. The hanyou felt rather than saw Kagome pulling closer to his body with that maddeningly small outfit barely covering her touchable skin. He stifled a gasp as he felt her warm body press up against his and her arm joined his at the elbow. "Come on, girl!" yelled Kagome with glee. "Let's get you a bikini, too! You'd look gorgeous with one on. The guys would be staring at you all day!"

_They already do! I couldn't handle a beach, dammit_! "What! No!" sputtered Shaya as she dug in her heels and brought the two of them to a screeching halt within the dressing rooms. "There's no…no way that I would wear a b-bikini." Shaya's head darted left and then right as a crimson stain grew across her features.

Kagome pulled back and Shaya frowned as her warmth and touch receded. "I'm so sorry, girl. You really are old fashioned," Kagome said. The ebony-haired miko, who was scantily clad, bowed deeply in front of Shaya. "Please accept my humblest apologies. I meant you no discomfort."

Inuyasha took another sharp intake of breath as he saw Kagome's nearly naked form submitting so beautifully before him in a subservient bow. He tried not to react and clenched his fists for good measure. "No…no need," answered Shaya as she loosened her clenched fists and tried to wave them in the air.

His roommate looked up and beamed the most beautiful smile at him. "Ah, well, it's not like we will really be needing these bathing suits anyway," murmured the girl as she returned to the dressing room stall. Inuyasha's sensitive ears flicked toward the door as he heard the soft swish of fabric as his girl undressed again.

Shaya's eyes widened momentarily at the new information. "What do you mean? We don't need bathing suits?"

The rustling of the fabric inside of the dressing room stall stopped abruptly and he heard a giggle from Kagome. "Oh, Shaya, you know…," said the girl as she resumed dressing. "In the hot springs you bathe in the nude! We only need these bikini's if we want to swim in Lake Ashi."

Inuyasha stood motionless outside of Kagome's door. "Naked?" he queried.

Kagome giggled again. "Oh, there is no need for you to be modest, Shaya. It will just be us girls. They don't let the men and women bathe together."

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms again in front of himself. "Damn straight!" he acceded before his arms dropped to his sides and he imagined the possibilities. _I'll be bathing naked next to Kagome!_ Suddenly he was imagining her wet, naked skin next to his equally nude body—with her breasts bobbing in the steaming water—and, his hands sliding against her curvy form… "Sounds like a good idea," Shaya managed to sputter out.

"Yeah," agreed Kagome noncommittally. "Though, I really wouldn't mind seeing something other than my girlfriends…" Kagome sighed. "It's horrible being in an all girls school. All I see all day are girls. All I get to talk to all day are girls. You know I just need a break from all of the estrogen…"

"I understand," murmured Inuyasha as he looked down at his delicate hands. Even his deadly claws looked incredibly cute, lacquered with pink fingernail polish. _I'm so fucking tired of being a damned girl. Sesshoumaru, you will pay!_

Kagome seemed to murmur in agreement as she finished dressing and soon appeared outside of the changing stall with her school uniform back on again. "I think I'll buy the red one," Kagome chirped. Afterwards, the girl turned to evaluate Sango's choice of bikini before both girls bought their purchases and finally managed to exit the lingerie store—much to the hanyou's relief.

Inuyasha had to reel the two girls in when they suddenly decided that one garment store was not enough and had managed to invade yet another apparel store. He quickly led them on a detour to the arcade in the mall. Luckily for him, Sango got a call from Miroku and had left to see the boy that she furiously said, 'was not her boyfriend.'

Soon Inuyasha had Kagome battling him out on 'Dance Dance Revolution.' Finally, Inuyasha was having some fun with Kagome. His competitive nature had him watching his feet and the dancing lights that showed him where he needed to step next. However, it only took one quick look at Kagome's sweat glistened skin, her heaving bosom, her rocking hips and her oh-too-short miniskirt for him to get distracted. Kagome was too caught up with her efforts to notice that Shaya was staring at her and had given up on her dance moves.

However, it didn't take long for Shaya to realize that she wasn't the only one staring.

"Hey girlie, keep moving those hips of yours!" yelled out some snot-nosed punk from a recently collected audience around the two DDR booths.

Shaya's face instantly turned crimson when she realized that both she and Kagome had become the center of attention for a group of teenage boys. _Oh No! Even worse!_ Shaya was able to scent an irksome smell of arousal coming off of some of those fucking boys!

Shaya turned around and clenched her fists next to her long, athletic legs. "What in the fuck did you say, asshole?!" exclaimed a very angry, yet maddenly beautiful, silver haired hanyou.

"Um, sweetheart! We just wanted to see you move, girlie!" called out a youth with long black hair that was tied up in a braid.

Shaya managed to jump out of the DDR booth, which had the unwanted effect of exposing Shaya's bow-tied, cotton panties to every boy who had been watching. Inuyasha, however, was oblivious to the peep show he had just created or the way his bosom bounced invitingly as he jumped. "I'm no one's sweetheart!" bellowed Shaya through gritted teeth as she managed to pull the young boy wearing a high school uniform up by his collar.

The boy's brown eyes widened as Shaya's fuming face and narrowed golden orbs looked on the youth with vengeance.

"Wow, girlie, you are so hot when you're angry!"

Shaya nearly dropped the boy and started sputtering in horror. The uniformed young man only took this as an invitation to grab Shaya's ass with both hands.

The screech that could be heard from Shaya's lips was an interesting combination of a girl's wail and a maddening scream of a rabid dog.

"What the fuck do you think you just did!?" roared Shaya. Her eyes started to bleed red and purple stripes started to appear on either side of her cheeks. The furious hanyou then leaped on the startled boy and they both landed hard on the floor. Shaya grabbed the boy's shirt with one hand and had the other hand ready to hit him squarely on the face.

Before anyone could inject another word to keep the situation from escalating, a furious Shaya straddled the teenage boy, pummeling him. Shaya's blows hit his face in quick succession. Anyone within the vicinity could see Shaya's long, silver hair flying left and right as her body swiveled with each punch.

"Shaya!" Kagome yelled in an attempt to reason with the girl. Shaya really didn't hear anything, but she did feel the soft, calming touch of the miko on her shoulders and was able to breathe in her gentle scent. Soft waves of purification energy radiated from Kagome and it was barely enough to pull Inuyasha away from the bloodlust that had been coursing through his veins.

He looked down at his hands and then at the young boy's face. Shaya's pink painted claws were laced with red blood and the boy's face was bloody and bruised. The young man was holding his hands in front of his face in an attempt to keep any more hits from landing.

What unnerved the hanyou the most was the precarious position he was in. _Fuck! I'm straddling the fucker! _ However, Inuyasha became even more shocked when he felt the boy's hardening length next to the thin cotton of his panty. _Oh God No!!! I'm going to be sick! This turned him on?!_ He felt the bile form in his throat as a wave of nausea washed over him. Shaya quickly got up as if stung and shuffled next to his roommate as if seeking protection. The hanyou tried not to look at the groaning boy who was sporting an obvious hard-on. _The guy's aroused because of me?! I'm going to puke!_

Mall security was quickly brought in and Shaya could only grimace. _Fuck! I'm caught in another fight. My parents are going to kill me. And! They might even kick me out of school again. I…I don't want to leave this school._

The very thought seemed alien. He had never wanted to attend school before. When he had been kicked out of school previously, he was actually glad that he didn't have to do any schoolwork. _They thought kicking me out was punishment? _But now, everything had changed. Being kicked out meant that he could no longer be near Kagome. She would get another roommate, and he would no longer be part of her daily routine. He would no longer be smelling her sweet scent everyday or seeing her nude form every night. For some reason, the thought of leaving horrified him, and for the first time in his life, he was regretting a fight that he had been in.

"What's going on here!" yelled the local mall cops who had come on the scene.

Shaya could only clench her fists and looked panicked at the unwelcome thought of being arrested for starting a fight and possibly being kicked out of school again.

His two friends helped up the battered youth, and the cops were ascertaining the damage that had been done to his face.

"Are you telling me that lovely girl over there did this to you?" asked one of the perplexed cops.

The boy nodded and had a loopy grin on his face. "Yeah, officer, she straddled my hips and gave me the beating of a lifetime. Oh, girlie, come at me again!" The young boy managed to whistle at Shaya whose face contorted again in rage. It was only Kagome's restraining hand on her arm that kept the hanyou from beating him up a second time.

"Shaya, I know he's a sexist jerk. But you have to restrain yourself or you could get arrested."

Shaya could only growl in response.

The cops sighed as they looked at the comely girl who was fuming. "So, the boy mouthed off and you did a number on him?" queried one of the cops.

Shaya only nodded with narrowed eyes. _Shit! They're going to arrest me!_

Kagome was quick to step in front of Shaya to defend her. "That boy!" yelled Kagome as she pointed at the youth with a bruised face and a bloody nose, "was making lewd, sexual comments and groped Shaya! He deserved what he got."

The officer looked up and down at Shaya. The hanyou goddess' face became beet red again as she realized that she was being checked out by mall security. "You don't say," the officer drawled as his eyes swept pass the girl's ample bosom and her nipples that puckered against the thin fabric of her blouse. The officer grinned at Shaya and winked.

Inuyasha could only stare in disbelief. _What the hell?_

"Come on, Kobayashi. Let's arrest this guy and take him in!" said the officer who did not let his eyes leave Shaya's body.

_Oh Shit! They're going to arrest me!_

"Right, Shibata-san," agreed the other officer as he knelt to pick up the boy groaning on the ground. Much to Shaya's surprise, he grabbed the boy's hands and forcibly pinned them behind his back.

"What's the matter with you, idiot. Making rude, sexual remarks to a sweet girl like her?"

Shaya stood in shock at the recent turn of events. _They're not going to arrest me?_

"No officers," the boy yelled. "You would have done the same thing. She's not wearing a bra, and her boobs were jiggling while she danced to DDR and…"

"Can it," murmured an officer, who winked at Shaya again as he led the disgruntled youth away.

_I got away with it? _Inuyasha was frozen in disbelief as the youth he had just beaten up was taken away while he got off scot-free. Suddenly, a mischievous grin appeared on Shaya's face and her previously slumped shoulders drew back as she stood tall. _I can't believe the shit I could get away with while I'm a girl._

"Come on, Kagome!" Shaya ordered as he grabbed his best girl's arm and led her away from the arcade. The obnoxious brat had gotten his rocks off by looking at him, but Shaya did manage to get him arrested. _Today wasn't too bad. _Shaya glanced down to look at the girl he was pulling along by his side. _No, today hasn't been bad at all._ Inuyasha smiled down at the beautiful girl by his side.

They soon made their way to the second story railing, and Kagome stopped to lean against it.

The miko frowned. "I'm sorry, Shaya," murmured Kagome with sad eyes. "I don't like it when guys treat us like this."

"Treat us?" asked Inuyasha perplexed. He leaned up against the railing so that his body was barely touching hers. Maybe he couldn't touch Kagome every time he wanted to, but he would do everything in his power to get as close to her as he reasonably could.

"Surely, this has happened to you before?" questioned Kagome in amazement. She looked at Shaya quizzically.

"No, not really. Well, I've been in some fights," Inuyasha acceded.

Kagome only tilted her head to the side with a bewildered look on her face. "A pretty girl like you must run into problems like this all the time. I mean, you're so much more beautiful than any other girl I know."

Inuyasha nearly stopped as he looked down at Kagome in surprise. A small dusting of pink graced his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. "I'm not that pretty," answered Inuyasha in astonishment. _No one is as beautiful as you._

Kagome just held a bemused smile on her face as she sat up on the railing. Her legs bent like a mermaid underneath her and her long, smooth thighs were on display under her short miniskirt. "Shaya-chan!" said Kagome with a smile as she patted Inuyasha's shoulder. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" asked the perplexed hanyou.

His roommate only smiled and grinned at him from her perch. "Shaya you are so gorgeous that you could be a model. Hasn't anyone told you that? And why don't you have a boyfriend? The boys are all over you!"

The lovely, hanyou beauty drew back in revulsion. "I don't want a boyfriend," answered Shaya in disgust. The girl shook her long, satiny locks as if she was a dog trying to shake her hair dry. Inuyasha's whole body shivered at the revolting thought. _Me with a guy?! How fucking sick!_

It was Kagome's turn to look perplexed. "Shaya are you…?" asked his roommate as a loud cry was heard on the second story atrium.

"Silver-haired girl!" yelled a boy in a kimono who was rushing to their place next to the railing.

The hanyou only groaned and smacked his face with his hand. It was that annoying guy from the ice cream shop. _What was that asshole's name? Kuno?_

It was probably because Inuyasha had his face partially covered with his hand that caused him to not see what was about to happen. The boy who had bought him ice cream was running toward Shaya so quickly that the boy flailed at the last minute (perhaps on purpose) to crash into Shaya. Kuno could only sigh in contentment as his face met Shaya's full and luscious bosom. What Kuno found so curious about the collision is that Shaya's sweet, pliable form didn't feel very soft upon impact. In fact, Shaya's chest felt like he had just plowed into a brick wall.

As Kuno ran into Shaya, the hanyou also fell backwards—slamming against Kagome who was balancing so precariously on the railing.

It took mere moments for Shaya's hanyou senses to kick in and sense the danger.

If felt like the world was moving slowly as Shaya turned and noticed Kagome falling over the railing, her eyes widened in horror.

"Nooooo!" screamed Inuyasha as he lunged forward to grab her hand. As time slowed, the hanyou saw the miko's fingertips brush against his and, her eyes screamed for someone to rescue her from her apparent doom.

Fingers touched once, claws flexed and Shaya lunged to jump off of the railing while holding onto the overhang with one hand. The final leap did it. In the air, his pink painted claws managed to grasp her fingers and he held on for dear life.

Hanging above the second story balcony was a beautiful, hanyou girl. She held onto the overhang with one hand. Her other hand dangled behind her and was grasping a terrified girl with long, raven locks.

"Hold on Kagome!" the Shaya grunted.

Kagome could only nod breathlessly and gasp underneath her would-be savior.

Since Inuyasha was a half-demon, pulling Kagome up while hanging onto the balcony with one hand, was about as easy as lifting a feather. "Grab my neck!" ordered Shaya and Kagome quickly complied. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, the miko's body dangled down the hanyou's back.

Now that Inuyasha had both hands free, he slowly pulled himself and Kagome back over the railing. All the Inuyasha could hear was the rapid beating of his heart and the heart of the girl he had a crush on. He could hear the pounding of her blood rushing through her veins as he pulled the startled girl to him. All he could think to do was to hold her close. He had to know that she was all right, that she was real and, that everything was fine.

As Kagome's trembling form pulled away from his their eyes bored into each other's. They were both shocked and overwhelmed. However, there was something about Shaya's face that looked tender. The golden-eyed girl looked down at the ebony-haired girl with longing.

Shaya's fingers briefed brushed against Kagome's raven tresses. "Kagome, are you OK?" asked the hanyou with immense concern.

Kagome only looked back up at her roommate with wide-eyed wonder and perhaps with a note of hero worship in her eyes.

"Silver-haired girl!" yelled Kuno breaking their tender moment.

The hanyou only turned away from Kagome and clenched his fists in disgust. "What do you want asshole?!" yelled Shaya. She grabbed the boy's kimono collar and pulled him off the floor. "You nearly killed Kagome!" screamed Shaya in a rage the boy couldn't quite comprehend.

"Shaya-chan," whispered his roommate over the din of the crowd. Her words were barely perceptible, and if it wasn't for Inuyasha's selective hanyou hearing he might not have heard her voice at all. "He's not worth it."

Shaya grimaced in a most unladylike way before shoving the startled boy to the ground.

"Come on, Kagome!" Shaya commanded as she held out her hand. "It looks like I need to watch after you every moment of the day."

Kagome didn't say anything as she looked down at the clawed hand. Then, she looked up at Shaya with a brilliant smile that made the hanyou almost forget about everything that had just transpired. Suddenly there was nothing but Kagome and her warm smile. A smile he wanted to see everyday for the rest of his life.

Kagome joined her hand with his and followed after the silver-haired girl dutifully, like a happy puppy dog following her owner.

_End Chapter 5_

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Author's Notes:**_

_#1:Readers, we need your artistic help! We need someone to draw Inuyasha and/or Koga as their girl selves (perhaps reflected in a mirror), while we see their real selves in their cute sailor suit uniforms. (Yes, a picture of them in drag and a picture of them as they actually look to everyone as girls.) If anyone can get a picture to us, we'll publish it on our MediaMiner accounts and as an added incentive we'll give you a sneak preview into the pajama party chapter._

_#2: Thank you folks for your many suggestions for Wii video games and movies for Inu/Kag. We used one suggested Wii game in this chapter. We will use another suggested video in the next chapter when Kagome goes on a date… Hee hee… But who is she going on a date with?_

_#3: Yes, we grabbed 'Kuno' from Ranma 1/2 (the guy who has a crush on 'the pig-tailed girl' AKA Ranma the guy/girl) and threw him in our story. Isn't it fun to have an oblivious man with a crush on a 'girl' who is really a 'guy'? Oh and if you have never read Ranma 1/2 you might want to read Rumiko Takahashi's previous comedy about a boy cursed to be a girl. You can find it at OneManga dot Com. (Hee hee, wonder where we get our inspirations from?)_

_#4: These are real ice cream flavors in Japan: green tea, banana, caramel, Hokkaido melon, mikan orange peel, chestnut, black sesame and sweet potato, cappuccino, tofu, peanut and grape._

_#5: 5,000 Yen--about $50 US Dollars._

_**Next Chapter:**__ Going on a Date with Kagome and Shaya tries to get a job._


	6. Going on a Date with Kagome

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

_Before we begin a hearty congratulations goes out to Karaumea for winning (count them) five awards from the Inuyasha Fan Guild's First Qtr 2009 voting. Considering that English is her second language, it makes that accomplishment even more stunning. Congrats, Kara! –Ai K.  
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'_He's My Girl' has been nominated for Best AU/AR by inustrugrl for the Feudal Association March Awards. If you are a member of the FA, please vote!  
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_**Warnings:** Please do not read if you find swearing or sexual situations disturbing. Trust me, we find them immensely fun and entertaining—and we hope you do, too.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas:  
Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger and Theleb K'aarna!_

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_This chapter was written by Ai Kisugi. Karaumea is in her home country right now and should be back to writing again in July._

**Chapter 6: Going on a Date with Kagome**

The morning rays of light fell through the slatted blinds of the dorm room window. Patterned beams alighted upon a lovely girl with long, satiny hair and two fuzzy dog-like ears that adorned the top of her head. The gorgeous woman slept in a peculiar manner with a hand on her crotch and the other lazily scratching her abdomen. Her fingers moved upward to rub against her full bosom. Her luscious globes pressed against the flimsy red tank top she wore as her hand slowly massaged the area. The girl smiled pleasantly in her sleep. "Ka-go-me," she mumbled.

The hand that had been gripping her crotch in a most unladylike way was now stuffed inside of her shorts. Masculine grunts were soon heard from the lovely goddess as her hand moved inside of the trunks. Suddenly, her lovely eyes fluttered open to reveal amber pools and long black lashes. Then, her eyes quickly squeezed shut as if in concentration. She kicked the comforter back over her body to hide what she had been doing so openly, before continuing.

"'Gome, touch me. Oh, God!" a long moan escaped the girls ruby lips as her hands continued to stroke under the covers. The girl's entire body quivered in ecstasy and her digits maintained a tight grip on 'her' long shaft. She sputtered when the feeling swelled and crested, leaving her feeling pleasantly satiated. Her head fell back onto her pillow and then her eyes quickly widened in horror. _Did Kagome hear any of that?_

The panicked hanyou turned to look at his roommate's futon across from him. The sleeping girl's shiny, ebony locks fanned around her face as she murmured in her sleep. _Thank God she is a heavy sleeper. _Inuyasha quickly let out the breath that he had been holding._ She hasn't noticed anything, yet. How long can I keep this up?_

He sniffed and grimaced at the putrid odor that permeated his bedcovers. His entire futon smelled of the sweat, arousal and release of a bitch in heat. _I have got to get rid of this scent! I can't sleep like this another night!_

Shaya ripped off her bed covers and rifled through her closet. She tossed out dirty underwear and uniforms on the floor as she searched. There seemed to be no change of sheets or blankets anywhere. "Shit!" she griped in frustration.

"Shaya-chan?" said Kagome, yawning as she stretched like a cat. Inuyasha quickly turned to see his roommate's perky breasts brush against the large t-shirt she was wearing. For a brief moment, he forgot what he was looking for as he drank in her form.

"Wha…what?" he asked as he stared at her in confusion.

Kagome seemed to be paying him no mind and rubbed her eyes. She pointed to the floor and the pile of dirty clothes that had accumulated there. "What are you doing, Shaya?"

Shaya frowned before turning to shove her dirty clothes back into her closet. "I was looking for a change of sheets. My, uh, sheets need to be changed, and I don't have anything to replace them with."

"Oh," said Kagome as she pulled her futon covers back to reveal her long legs and a hint of her pink panty under the mid-length t-shirt. "Well, why don't you just do some laundry with me today? We can get your sheets clean." The miko yawned again and then attempted to get up.

"Uh, I'd like to. It's just that I have no money for laundry."

"What? You said yesterday you had no money. But I don't understand. Why don't you just call your parents and ask for some money? Surely they will understand that you need laundry money."

Shaya only turned her face away from Kagome. Her face reddened in shame.

Kagome moved toward her roommate and put her hand on her shoulder. "Shaya-chan. Talk to me. What happened? I know your parents can give you laundry money. Why don't they?"

Shaya only folded her arms in front of her and murmured a telltale, "Keh!" into the air.

"Oh, now don't you do that to me, Shaya," said Kagome as she spun her hanyou roommate around. "You're going to talk to me."

Shaya's honeyed eyes met Kagome's liquid chocolate orbs. For a few seconds Inuyasha couldn't think of anything to say as his heart started to beat rapidly and he even found it difficult to breathe. Kagome's scent was doing something to him. She smelled even better when she started to get passionate about something. He moved his nose down to sniff her delicate fragrance more closely when he heard her indignant cry.

"I'm waiting, Shaya!"

His roommate's displeasure took him out of his early morning reverie. It was hard to move from an absolutely wonderful dream of being fully male and having sex with Kagome—to the reality that crashed all around him. He was simply a girl in her eyes, and she wasn't the least bit attracted to him.

Shaya frowned.

"Well?" the miko questioned.

Inuyasha looked down at her again and muttered the first coherent words that came into his head. He spoke the only words that didn't have anything to do with how much he really wanted to take Kagome into his bed and have his wild way with her like he had done in his dream.

"I…I guess they're punishing me?"

"Punishing you? Shaya, why would they punish you?"

"I made some mistakes," the hanyou girl murmured as she sat down again on her futon. Shaya's dirty laundry and rumpled bedcovers were scattered on the floor in front of her.

Kagome's brown eyes softened as she sat down next to Shaya. The miko took the girl's clawed hand in hers and gently squeezed it. "Shaya-chan, you can talk to me. What mistakes did you make?"

Shaya turned her face away from Kagome as her cheeks became the color of apples. "I made a lot of them over the years. I don't know where to begin."

Kagome patted her roommate's hand. "I'm here, Shaya. Take all the time you want."

The hanyou gazed at the wall and then past it. Her eyes were unfocused as she began to speak. "I've been kicked out of two high schools in the past year."

"What? Shaya-chan? How could you? I don't understand, you are so sweet—how could that ever happen?" sputtered Kagome.

The hanyou's gaze looked ahead, never making eye contact with his roommate. "I've been getting into fights, causing problems, making my parents mad. I didn't mean to. I just couldn't help it."

"Couldn't help what, Shaya-chan?"

"Couldn't help being angry…all of the time," muttered the half demon.

"Angry? But you don't seem angry, Shaya-chan," said Kagome in utter bafflement.

"Well, I was. For two whole years, I wanted to lash out at the world."

"Why, Shaya-chan?"

"Feh!" was the only answer that Kagome received from the stony-faced hanyou girl.

Kagome grabbed Shaya by the shoulders and put her face within a hairsbreadth of the half-demon.

"You wanted to lash out…," started Kagome, prompting the other female to continue.

Inuyasha could only look down upon his miko, dumbfounded by her serious gaze and the utter concern the shone so deeply within her features.

"Wanted to lash out…," he paused as he gazed on his crush. "Because the only thing I ever wanted didn't want me."

Kagome shook her head in confusion. "What? What do you mean, Shaya-chan?"

Shaya only answered by getting up and violently wrenching a clean school uniform off of its hanger. Inuyasha then felt a gentle hand lightly touching his shoulder.

"Please answer me, Shaya-chan."

Inuyasha leaned his head back and tried to scent the air again. Her aroma always calmed him. "I…I had a crush on someone. Someone who thought I was an idiot. Someone who didn't want me."

"You're not making sense, Shaya-chan," Kagome took Shaya's hand in hers and led her back to the futon. Kagome patted the space next to her, motioning for the hanyou girl to sit down again. Inuyasha's golden eyes found Kagome's warm brown ones. The miko swept a tendril of silky, silver hair away from Shaya's eyes. "Why would any man _not_ want you, Shaya?" asked Kagome with a warm smile. "Who wouldn't want a beautiful woman like you? And most importantly," the miko acknowledged as she took the hanyou's clawed hand in hers, "How could he not see the wonderful and tender heart that you have? Any man would be lucky to have you. You know that don't you?"

Inuyasha blushed under Kagome's intense gaze. "My crush would never want me. I'm hanyou. No one's ever wanted me," he paused before continuing his litany. "I stuttered in front of my crush all the time. I said stupid things…"

Kagome's finger touched his lips to silence him and he didn't know whether to tremble or rejoice at having her so close. However, she did get her wish of silencing him because now he was completely distracted. "You stuttered in front of me, right?" asked Kagome.

Shaya could only nod dumbly as he contemplated the fingers that touched his mouth. Images of him sucking on her digits quickly played through his mind as he looked down at her with a shocked expression.

Kagome smiled warmly, and he felt his own chest loosen. It was almost as if the sunshine from her smile warmed him from within. "I don't think that way of you, Shaya. You saved my life," Kagome's brown eyes looked fully into the half demon's darkening amber orbs with undisguised tenderness and emotion. "I think you are sweet, tender, self-sacrificing, and brave. And most important, you are a lovely girl, inside and out," whispered his roommate. "And if he can't see that—then he doesn't deserve you."

Inuyasha suddenly forgot how to breathe and he felt immensely light. _She thinks I'm sweet? She thinks I'm brave?_ Then, a silly half smile erupted from his lips and his full bosom puffed up even more with pride. "Keh!" he uttered again, but this time, he spoke with immense self-satisfaction.

Kagome smiled up at him and patted his hand. "Have you ever told him how you feel?"

"Him?" questioned Shaya.

"Your crush, silly," answered Kagome as she pushed her shoulder against the hanyou's.

"My crush?" questioned Shaya as she looked perplexed at Kagome.

"Yes! Have you told him?" asked his roommate again as she peered curiously at the other girl's amber eyes.

The hanyou looked at Kagome wide-eyed. "No. Never."

"Well, how can you possibly move on with your life if you don't tell him?"

Inuyasha contemplated Kagome's full, red lips that were begging to be kissed. He tilted his head to the side as if considering her statement. "Maybe, I will," Shaya answered.

"Good girl!" Kagome chirped as she stood up and made her way to her side of the dorm room. Along the way, she inadvertently tripped on the pile of dirty laundry that covered the floor.

"Sorry about that," muttered Shaya who was already at Kagome's side, helping her stand up.

Kagome took her roommate's hand as she allowed herself to be pulled upright. "We'll do your laundry with mine today. And if your parents aren't going to give you any money, then you need to look at other options."

"Like what?"

"Like getting a job," said Kagome as she left his side of the room to remove her t-shirt and to bare her braless torso. Shaya stared at his roommate's bouncing bosom as Kagome wandered around the room oblivious to the hanyou's gaze.

"A job?" answered Shaya._ I've never had a job before. Well, it can't be that difficult, can it?_

* * *

Shaya was the first to emerge from the metal door that clanged open. In her clawed hands were two laundry baskets stacked on top of each other and piled high with wet linens.

"Shaya!" called his raven-haired roommate from behind him. "You don't have to carry everything. I can hold something."

"I'm not going to have a weak human carry this heavy load. You'd hurt your back or something," muttered the hanyou with some self-satisfaction.

Kagome only stared at her roommate with wide eyes and with a look of perplexity. "Weak?" she asked with agitation.

"Yeah, human girls are weak. Luckily you have a strong hanyou around to help you!" said Shaya with a pleased tone in her voice. She never noticed Kagome's quirked eyebrow or her expressive frown.

"Fine, Shaya! Have it your way!" Kagome grumbled as she motioned for them to go near an empty clothesline.

They were on the rooftop of the dormitory and there were many clothes wires across the area. Clothing that was pinned onto the clotheslines fluttered in the breeze. In the air was the lingering scent of detergent, the aroma of freshly washed clothes warming in the sun and Kagome's gentle perfume.

Shaya turned around to survey the area triumphantly, since she had managed to keep Kagome from hurting herself by carrying the burdensome loads of wet clothing.

All around him were girl's clothing, panties and bras in all sizes and colors. Inuyasha looked down and saw similar garments in the basket he held. In fact, right at the top was a pair of silky, pink panties that Kagome had worn. He gingerly picked up the cloth and rubbed the satiny fabric through his fingers. _This once touched her bottom and her…_

He gulped as Kagome situated herself in front of him with a 'Humpf' and proceeded to hang up their damp clothes with clothespins. The tiny, green skirt she wore barely covered her ass, and since the wind was picking up, he caught a glimpse of the pink panty that almost concealed her firm, smooth bottom. Inuyasha had never liked the color pink, but since he started to notice that it was the only undergarment color she wore, he had to concede that he was starting to become partial to it.

Inuyasha stared ahead as if in a stupor and quickly stuffed Kagome's newly washed panty in one side of his own undergarments. He wanted to have something of hers, something with her scent on it, something that had covered her intimately. _She couldn't possibly miss it. She has so many pink panties. _His only regret was that it had been washed. Without his bidding a plan to snatch her discarded underwear from her dirty laundry bin was hatched. Another silly half-smile graced the beautiful half-demon's lips.

"Shaya, are you going to help me? Or am I supposed to do all of the work?" called out Kagome plaintively.

"Oi. Sorry," Shaya replied. The beauty with silver locks smiled winsomely at her roommate and then started to pull out the wet clothes. She handed Kagome each piece, one at a time as the girl stood on her tiptoes to hang their wash. Inuyasha enjoyed the view of her creamy legs and looked at her firm backside while Kagome was blissfully unaware of his attentions.

"So Shaya," Kagome muttered with a clothespin in her mouth. The miko brought out the clothespin while draping her pink bra across the clothesline. "You were telling me about your crush this morning."

Inuyasha's eyes glanced up from the lovely view he had of her long, smooth legs to her face once she had addressed him. "Crush?" he asked with a note of horror. He really didn't know if he wanted to talk about his crush with Kagome. _How could I tell the very girl I'm crushing on about my crush?_

"Yes, your crush!" answered Kagome with a determined smile. "You said this morning that you might tell him how you really feel."

"Well, I might," added Shaya non-committingly as she grabbed another damp panty and handed it to Kagome.

"Shaya," answered Kagome in a singsong tone to her voice. "You can't hide your feelings forever. You have got to tell him!"

The goddess' white ears twitched in annoyance at her roommate's words and she frowned.

Suddenly, the girl with ebony tresses and mocha-brown orbs was directly in front of Shaya's face. The golden-eyed beauty could only catch her breath as she watched tendrils of raven hair flit across and caress the very face she wanted to touch. His heartbeat quickly doubled, and he felt light headed. It took everything he had to keep his hands from stroking the darkened strands or running his fingers down her soft skin.

"I know just what we can do," said Kagome in glee. "I'll pretend to be the guy you have a crush on and you can practice with me."

"Practice what?" asked Shaya dubiously as she continued to hand the miko clothes for hanging.

"How you feel, silly," answered Kagome as she whipped a dampened bra at her playfully. The bra slapped gently across his chest before bouncing off.

"Uh, are you sure this is a good idea, Kagome?" questioned the amber-eyed hanyou.

"Yes, I think this will help you. So tell me his name," demanded Kagome playfully.

"Uh, Ka…ka…Kajiro," finished Shaya. He had almost said 'Kagome' and that would have really made his roommate uncomfortable. Then he came up with the only boy's name that he could think of that sounded close to Kagome.

"OK," said Kagome. She lowered her voice and tried to speak with some huskiness. "So, Shaya, it's been a long time."

Shaya grimaced and put a hand in front of her eyes. "No, no!" protested Shaya as she pulled her hand away. "Keep your original voice. It seems too weird to have you speaking like a guy."

"Oh, OK," replied Kagome as she continued with her regular feminine voice. "Shaya, I haven't seen you in so long. How are you doing?"

"Fine," muttered Shaya as she turned away from Kagome and tried to fasten a green mini-skirt to the clothesline.

Yet again, Kagome's serious face and mesmerizing chocolate pools came within centimeters of Shaya's. The hanyou's face blanched and she felt her jaw loosen in surprise.

"I was wondering if you ever thought about me, Shaya," inquired Kagome as she looked at the girl innocently.

"All the time…even in my dreams," answered Shaya almost on reflex before her eyes started to bulge in horror and she put a hand over her mouth.

"Really?" answered Kagome. She pulled Shaya's hand away from her mouth and peered at her. Shaya gulped and took a step back. Her body touched a hard surface, and she realized now that her back was pressed up against a metal door.

"Yes," answered Shaya in a panic. Kagome was holding his hand against her warm bosom, and his clawed fingers could feel the steady drumming of the miko's heart. His senses took in her lovely, gentle scent, and his eyes burgeoned in alarm as Kagome's sweet form was pressed against his.

"Is there anything you want to say to me, Shaya?" asked Kagome innocently. Her body drew closer, and he focused on her ruby, red lips.

Inuyasha licked his lips in nervousness and nodded wordlessly. "I…I can't get you off of my mind."

"How so?" asked Kagome. She drew Shaya's hand in closer and pressed it against her soft, giving breasts.

The steady feel of the wall behind him was all that was keeping him standing upright as he gazed with distress at the woman who had made him stutter, who had made him act like an idiot, who he wanted to possess, and who he wanted with his heart, mind and soul. The woman he loved…

"I…I love you, Ka…Ka," Shaya couldn't finish the name he had started to speak. He looked down to see the lady he thought he had a crush on. _What the fuck? I love... _His words drilled into his head._ I love Kagome? _His eyes widened at the thought, and again, he refocused on her beautiful, kissable lips—the very lips he had been dying to taste.

It was seemingly without his volition that his body moved closer to hers and his lips moved down to meet with the very ones he had dreamt of kissing.

He was shocked to see Kagome suddenly move her body away from him and then placed both hands on either side of the hanyou. "Oh, girl you did it!" exclaimed Kagome as she jumped up and down in front of him. "You admitted your true feelings! Now, you just have to do it in real life!"

Kagome turned and strummed her finger against her cheek. Then, she turned back around to look at the perplexed and red-faced hanyou girl who was still leaning her stiff body against the wall. "We have to get you and Kajiro out on a date now!" answered Kagome triumphantly. "We'll try this role playing thing again before you go out. When can you get a hold of him?"

Shaya's lips only opened and closed like a fish that was gasping for air as she looked at her roommate in shock. _I'm in love with my roommate and she thinks I'm a girl?! I'm so fucked! _The words repeated themselves in his stupefied mind as his roommate went over numerous plans to get Shaya together with the fictional, 'Kajiro.'

* * *

Shaya blew at her thick, silvery bangs as she put her freshly washed clothing back into her dresser drawers. As she placed the assorted garments away, she noticed her shiny, red cell phone sitting on top of her dresser. Her perfectly sculptured black eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

After Inuyasha had been 'changed' into a girl and was stuffed into the all-girl's boarding school, he was livid beyond belief at Sesshoumaru and his parents. He had no reason to call them and had turned his cell phone off. _Fucking bastard brother…_

However, his anger had slowly ebbed away over the past few days. He didn't like the situation he was in. He looked like a girl and he even had to dress like a girl. However, there had been some good points as well. Kagome was his roommate. Even if it scared him back into stuttering at first, he now found Kagome's company to be the perfect balm for his soul. There was also the added benefit of seeing her naked every day and escorting her around like he was her 'boyfriend.' _OK, my brother is still a bastard, but this situation is not all bad._

Inuyasha turned around to see Kagome taking on and off a series of tops and miniskirts. Between changes he caught glimpses of her creamy skin or her bare breasts as she slipped on another strapless bra or wiggled into another mini skirt. _Definitely not all bad… _He stood there entranced by the amazing vista and Kagome was too concerned with the outfits she was trying on to realize that someone was watching her. _Damn, I love these private viewings. No one but me should ever see her like this._

His eyes reluctantly turned back to his cell phone. He flipped it open, and then pressed a button to power it back up. The phone came back to life as the ringtone for 'Change the World' echoed from the tiny device. He quickly scanned the phone calls that he had missed and was sad to see that his mother had never called him, while his bastard brother had called once. He frowned in annoyance. He didn't want to call his elder brother back and he certainly did not want to grovel. But Sesshoumaru was holding all of the cards this time. If he ever wanted to be a guy again, he had to somehow convince his brother to release him from the bracelet—at least on a temporary basis, so that he could go on the date he had promised Kagome.

He swallowed nervously as he pressed the reply button to the person labeled as 'Bastard.' It took three rings for his brother to answer. Inuyasha exited the dorm room he shared with Kagome and walked out into the hallway for some privacy.

"Hello, my dear sister," answered Sesshoumaru in a mocking tone.

"Don't fucking start, Sesshoumaru!" intoned Inuyasha loudly.

"So how's life at the new boarding school, Shaya?"

"I'm a fucking girl, Sess!" started Inuyasha.

"Too bad that you haven't learned to act like one," interrupted Sesshoumaru with a bored tone. Then, he continued with a chuckle. "And your new roommate, are you enjoying her company?"

Shaya's golden eyes widened and then narrowed. "What do you know about my roommate, Sesshoumaru?" whispered Shaya.

"It was under my behest that Kagome was your roommate."

_I thought it was just a strange coincidence. _"You…you planned this?!" asked an astounded Shaya.

"Yes," responded Sesshoumaru dryly. "Aren't you happy about it, Shaya? We all knew that you had a crush on Rin's little sister."

"I…I," muttered Inuyasha. "I didn't have…uh…"

Sesshoumaru snorted in response. "Hn. So has your roommate said anything?"

Inuyasha froze. "Said anything about what, you bastard?" He really had no idea what Sesshoumaru was talking about. Kagome had certainly told him many personal things about herself, but he wasn't about to share those intimate details with his asshole brother.

The word flowed slowly and effortlessly from his half-brother's mouth. "Rin."

Shaya furrowed her beautifully manicured brows in contemplation. _So he set me up with Kagome so that I might learn something about Rin?_ "Maybe," the hanyou girl answered. Her glower was quickly replaced with a mean smile as she continued, "But I don't know if I should tell you anything, you bastard."

"What do you want, my dear sister," Sesshoumaru asked dryly as he emphasized 'sister'.

"I want to be a guy again!" remarked Shaya as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, that," remarked the taiyoukai. "Well, you are the one that Naraku is trying to kill. If you don't stay in your disguise as a girl—you might end up dead. Just let this," Sesshoumaru paused, "disaster that you and Kouga created blow over. I am sure in a year or so that you can be your 'charming' self again."

"One whole damned year?!" exclaimed Shaya in the hallway yelling in surprise at the top of her lungs.

"Yes, it might do you some good. Mother thinks you might even learn some manners!" Inuyasha could swear that if he could see his older brother right now that the bastard would be smirking.

Bitterness seethed with every word spoken. "Not fucking likely, Sess!" replied Shaya. "I need to be a guy again and I need to be a guy, now!"

Shaya heard a low chuckle on the other end of the phone. "You are still a 'guy,' Inuyasha—you only look like a girl." He paused before continuing, "I promised our parents that I would keep you safe, and by keeping you disguised as a girl, that is exactly what I am doing. You see, until Naraku is no longer out to kill you, we need to keep you in hiding. Or did you forget about that? Did you forget your meeting with the mob boss when he mentioned that he wanted to kill you?" Sesshoumaru paused while Inuyasha grimaced in frustration. "However, if you could perhaps find out where Rin is, then I might be inclined to take off the bracelet for perhaps… a day… no more and no less."

"Sesshoumaru!" warned Shaya in anger.

"Yes, my dear sister," answered his older brother. "Remember that I am the only one who can take off the bracelet. So you have until the end of your school year—as my lovely sister, Shaya. Or, perhaps you can find what has happened to Rin and I might be persuaded to give you a reprieve."

"You're a bastard you know that?" exclaimed Shaya as she barely kept her rage in check. _All damn year as a girl? No fucking way!_

"So you have been telling me," he replied. "I trust that you will call me only if you have news of Rin. Goodbye my dear, sister." Subtle mockery dripped from his voice as Sesshoumaru ended his phone call.

"Fucking Bastard!" Shaya yelled as she slammed her cell phone shut. If she really were a girl she would have been sobbing by now. But instead she hit the doorframe next to her in frustration and then ran her manicured fingernails through her long and luxurious silver tresses.

_Naraku, shit!_ He had almost forgotten about the mob boss who had promised to kill him while he stood in the very same room. _My fucking brother just stood there agreeing with Naraku. That asshole! He never even defended me once. He just told that sleaze that he had no problem with me being killed. He even said that I went too far that time. As if!_ The girl with honeyed eyes and waist-length silver hair snorted.

Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of his buxom bosom as he remembered the events that lead to the situation. He and Kouga had managed to get into Naraku's decadent and illegal gambling casino called 'the Jewel.' He had left Kouga after the wolf demon had chased after some red-eyed, black-haired ice queen named Kagura. He had spent his evening gambling away his father's money at the blackjack table. His stack of chips was actually piling quite high when he heard a shout and spied Kouga running across the gambling room floor.

His buddy was only wearing his black boxer's, and his other clothing was gripped in his hand. Behind his wolf demon friend was an angry entourage of security guards.

'Inuyasha! You gotta help me!' Kouga had yelled.

The silver-haired hanyou gazed wistfully at the ever-accumulating pile of chips he had acquired. Then he sighed in resignation as he stood next to the demon.

'Ready to make a stand?' Inuyasha had asked.

'Let's give-em hell,' his full-blooded demon friend replied.

Inuyasha always loved to fight. He had been so stressed and upset over the past few years. His crush had disappeared, and even while she was still around, he stuttered like an idiot around her. He became so frustrated that he let loose with his anger by fighting, and when he hung around Kouga, there was always an opportunity to do so.

The half-demon really didn't remember everything he had damaged that night. But, he was fairly certain that half of the casino floor was demolished by the time Kouga and him were done. He shook his head with a lingering smile. _Damn, those were good times._ His eyes widened as he realized that incident was the cause of his current predicament. He looked down at his curvy figure, short mini-skirt and long, limber legs. _Fuck! I know it was wrong, but do I really deserve this?_

Amber eyes narrowed in frustration as the hanyou girl clenched her hands and tried to keep from hitting the doorframe again before returning to her room.

It only took a deep breath and the lingering scent of Kagome's gentle aroma to calm him. His eyes then tracked the girl's movements on the other side of the room. She was twisting and turning in front of the mirror while looking at the new outfit she had put on.

"Shaya, what was all of that yelling about?" asked Kagome in concern as she furrowed her brow at how lost her roommate looked.

"My brother was just being a bastard, that's all," answered Shaya as she shrugged her shoulders as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Which brother?" asked Kagome with a trace of horror in her voice.

_Which brother? What? Oh._ It took a lingering second for the hanyou girl to realize that as far as Kagome was concerned, Shaya had two brothers. She crossed her arms in front of herself again and stood defiantly. "Sesshoumaru of course, he's the biggest bastard in the world."

"What? Really? I always saw him as being business-like and honorable," answered Kagome in surprise and confusion.

"Pfft," Shaya let some air escape out of her clenched teeth to let Kagome know what she truly thought of her older sibling. Then the girl's shocked eyes fell upon Kagome. She was dressed differently than usual. "Kagome, what are you…?"

Kagome smiled. "What do you think, Shaya?" the girl asked as she twirled in front of him.

Inuyasha looked down at his favorite girl and looked at her skin-tight white t-shirt that dipped low in the front to reveal the swells of her breasts. His eyes traced down to the dangerously high-cut, pink, mini skirt she was wearing. He couldn't help but to gaze down her long legs to the small, flat, white sandals she wore and her pretty little toes that were painted with pink nail polish.

He wanted to tell her that she looked 'hot,' but somehow he doubted that one girl would say that to another girl. "Good. You look good," he replied evenly as his gaze drifted back up her body and noticed that she was wearing makeup. Pale blue eye shadow emphasized her deep brown eyes and rosy lipgloss was on her kissable lips. He had never seen her wear makeup before and all of the sudden, dire dread welled up in his throat. _Why was she dressing up?_

"You like it?" she answered with glee as she spun around again. "I hope he likes it, too."

"He?" Shaya almost barked out in astonishment. "Wha—what, Kagome? What are you doing? Who is 'he'?"

"Oh, just Hojo," remarked his roommate as she smacked her glossy lips together and smiled at her reflection. "I went to middle school with him. He was always trying to ask me out. But, I never wanted to go out with him. I was too enamored with my crush to ever think about any other guy." Kagome sighed and her face that just a moment ago held a spark of giddiness now seemed sad. His roommate took a deep breath, and she forced a smile on her face. "I can do this!" she murmured. "I'm going to forget about him! I'm going to have a fun time with another guy! Just like you told me to do, Shaya!" Kagome turned around to smile at her roommate.

But Shaya was too stupefied to respond correctly. "Another guy? I told you? Wha…What! What about my brother?! Aren't you going to wait for a date with him?"

Kagome frowned as she placed an errant lock of hair behind her ear. "You know very well that he will never go out on a date with me, Shaya. If he ever wanted to go on a date with me he would have asked me out ages ago. He's not interested. Don't even try to shield me from the truth." Kagome sighed again and walked up to Shaya and took her clawed hands into hers. "You have been nothing but a wonderful, caring roommate. And it was sweet of you to try to set me up with your brother. But he doesn't want me, Shaya. He never did and he's not going to change now."

Inuyasha swallowed nervously as he watched Kagome's serious demeanor change into a sad, shy smile. Kagome patted Shaya on the cheek. "It's too bad that you're not a guy, Shaya. If you were, I'd go on a date with you instead. With those ears of yours, you're nearly as cute as your brother."

_What? A date with me…?_ Inuyasha was too entranced with Kagome's words to notice the girl picking up a pink sweater and opening their bedroom door.

"What?! Kagome! You can't go out like that!" the hanyou steamed.

"Oh? Is there something wrong with my makeup? Is it smeared?" Kagome checked her face in the mirror and did not see anything amiss. Then she twisted to look at her rear end in the mirror. "Is it my butt again? Do I look fat?"

"No!" intoned the hanyou in exasperation. Then, he spoke as if it was obvious as he pointed to the tiny skirt Kagome was wearing. "He can't see you in that outfit! You need to cover up, Kagome. Take that off! Put on some jeans and a long sleeved sweater!"

Kagome blanched at Shaya's onslaught. "But it's too warm for jeans and a sweater. It's humid outside. I only brought a sweater for the movie theater."

"Movie theater?" bellowed Shaya in astonishment.

"Yes, he's taking me to see, 'She's the Man.' It just started playing last week. I heard it was pretty funny." Kagome giggled at the thought of seeing the comedy and looked up shyly at her roommate.

Inuyasha could only imagine _his_ Kagome in a darkened movie theater with another man who was sure to take advantage of her. _Not bloody likely! _Shaya almost snarled to herself and gripped her clawed hands tightly, nearly piercing herself with her own claws. _I've got to follow her. I can't let that asshole make any moves on Kagome!_

Kagome had the door handle in her hands again and turned it to exit the room. "I'll see you when I get back and then we can talk all about my date! OK, Shaya?" His roommate, who was wearing clothes that showed every curve she possessed, walked out the door.

It took every ounce of Inuyasha's nerve to keep from smashing the door or to keep from snarling loudly. _I can't let her out of my sight. He might hold her hand. He might kiss her. He might…touch her…_

He couldn't stop himself. He growled and growled loudly before throwing open the second story window in his room and jumped out onto the concrete pavement below. _I have to catch her before she goes..._ Inuyasha hid behind some bushes near the front of the dormitory. Within moments, he caught Kagome's gentle scent and then started to trail after her. _Not too close and not too far. I can't lose her. Especially if she gets onto the subway…_

Inuyasha's worst fears were realized when he saw where Kagome was heading. She was walking toward the Tokyo Metro subway station near their high school. His superior hanyou senses would deaden in the large crowds that frequented the subway. If he didn't keep her directly in his line of sight, he could lose her. _What is she thinking being outside at night, alone? Why didn't her date pick her up at the dormitory so that she could be protected?_

The amber-eyed half demon frowned and then slowed his gait to follow the errant girl as he watched her pink miniskirt hug her hips as she took out a subway pass, put it into a turnstile and then walked on through. Once he was sure that Kagome had cleared the area, he tried to follow, but the turnstile wouldn't accept him without a Metro Ticket. _Shit! I don't even have money for a fucking subway pass! _

Inuyasha looked ahead in abject dread as he saw the girl he felt the need to protect slowly wandering out of his field of vision. He quickly turned around and walked backwards to survey the situation. There was one operator at the ticketing booth, and he seemed to be preoccupied with a customer. Inuyasha ran and then leapt with a burst of speed past the turnstiles and hoped that no security guards were trailing him.

He sniffed the air again and re-established Kagome's scent among the varied smells of the subway. She wasn't too far ahead. He then heard the steady 'woosh' of air whipping by and the 'hiss' of steel train wheels breaking on the metal tracks. _Damn, if she gets on that train… I have to hurry._

His blood was rushing through his veins, and his heart was pounding as he ran toward the subway train doors that Kagome had just stepped past. 'Doors closing,' said a monotoned operator as dulcet tones rang across the underground platform, warning everyone of their impending closure. With a sudden burst of speed he barely brushed past the closing doors and landed on his knees. He was in a sidecar next to Kagome's.

Shaya brushed off her skirt as she surveyed the surroundings and then pushed up on her hands to rise. Surprisingly, Shaya noticed a hand reaching out to her to offer her assistance. "Young woman, do you need some help?" asked an elderly man.

Shaya gazed up at the man in confusion and allowed him to help her up. There was something about him that seemed familiar. The hanyou girl sniffed but she couldn't identify his scent. He was wearing an obnoxious men's cologne that unfortunately interfered with her keen sense of smell. However, underneath the annoying fragrance that made her want to sneeze was something that seemed to linger like a forgotten memory.

The man didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. He was just like any other middle-aged salaryman who rode the subway systems of Tokyo. He had short, black hair that was peppered with gray, and his gentle brown eyes bore the telltale signs of creases at the corners. Like most workers, he wore dress slacks, a loose gray tie, a white dress shirt and a long black trench coat. What Shaya found the most astounding about the man was that he looked down on her with a detached air of affection akin to how a father would look at his daughter.

"Are you alright young woman?" asked the older man with a bemused smile.

"Keh!" answered Shaya as she stood up and shrugged. _I swear that I know this guy. Where have I seen or smelled him before?_

"You know, I noticed that you ran past the ticket booth without paying. May I ask why?" asked the man with a note of humor to his voice.

Shaya turned to look at the man in shock, her honeyed orbs widening in surprise. _He saw that? _"I…I don't have any money to pay for a subway ticket. Maybe once I get a job… But you see, I have someplace important to go to."

The old man smiled wisely. "Or perhaps someone important to watch?" asked the gentleman.

Shaya just looked at the man in surprise and uncrossed her arms. She glared at him curiously as if she had just been caught cheating on a test.

"I see," said the salaryman with a twinkle in his eye. He reached into his pocket, took a subway pass out of his wallet and handed it to Shaya. "This metro pass is pre-paid. Even with regular use it should last you for quite sometime."

Shaya nodded wordlessly as the crisp, credit card-sized paper with a metallic strip was passed into her hands. "Thank you," Shaya grunted as she looked up at the man who was smiling merrily at her.

The subway car started to screech to a halt as it glided into the next station. Shaya felt her body pull forward and she found she needed to grip the metal bar beside her to keep steady.

"You are welcome, young lady. I think the lady you are with is leaving," said the man as he pointed to Kagome who was sashaying out of the subway car.

Shaya wanted to ask the man how he knew he was with Kagome or why he had given him a subway pass. However, now he was just too concerned about keeping up with Kagome and the possibility of losing her in the crowds. The myriad of scents that clogged his senses made it hard for him to track her while she was underground. He had to run to keep up.

As the hanyou ran, he never noticed the man, who had just given him a metro pass, was following both him and Kagome out of the subway station. The older man started to put his wallet away when he looked at the picture within—a picture of his family that he had looked at everyday for the past two years.

The man's finger lingered on the photo, moving over the pictures of his children before finally brushing against the face of his wife. "Soon," he said as his merry eyes saddened momentarily. "I'll make sure that you are protected until then."

Sadness crept along the edges of his face as he put his wallet back into his pocket. As he did so, his black trench coat was pushed aside to briefly reveal a gun in a concealed holster that hung over his shoulder. Once his wallet was put away, Takeshi continued to follow the oblivious hanyou, who seemed so intent on following Kagome.

* * *

It was with a note of relief that Inuyasha finally spotted Kagome making her way to a movie theater at the Roppongi Hills shopping complex. He looked up to see that 'She's the Man' was on the movie marquee and then he looked about warily trying to identify the jerk that she was meeting.

Kagome smiled and waved. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he watched another young man wave back to her with boundless enthusiasm. _That must be the Hojo fucker that she's going on a date with. _The waving boy was wearing a navy, high school uniform with a high-collared jacket. He had short, sandy brown hair and clueless brown eyes. Shaya snorted in disgust. _What does she see in that weak, pathetic human?_

Inuyasha crossed his arms as he stood behind the line of people waiting to buy their tickets. His ears flicked in the direction that the couple stood in order to listen in on their conversation.

"Higurashi," the boy exclaimed cheerfully. "You look so lovely!"

_He doesn't even call her by her first name. Stupid, formal fucker. _Inuyasha snorted. Inuyasha could only mutter under his breath patronizingly. "You look soooo love-ly," he drawled out.

Kagome beamed a smile at the boy. Inuyasha wished it were directed at him instead. It was warm and happy. "Thank you so much, Hojo," said the girl.

Inuyasha was happy to hear that she was being formal as well, using his last name rather than his first. But he became quickly dismayed when he saw her blushing. _She can't possibly enjoy his annoying flattery? Can she? _A sudden worry wormed its way deep inside his stomach, and he couldn't shake the anxiety it caused.

He watched Kagome's eyes trail up to the boy in shyness. Anger clenched his gut as the boy then had the audacity to put his arm around Kagome's petit frame as he led _his_ girl into the movie theater. _Who does he think he is by touching her!?_ Inuyasha ground his teeth together in frustration. _I have to stop this!_

Shaya pulled out her red cell phone and quickly pressed the speed dial labeled 'Wench.' Kagome quickly became startled and pulled away from the boy as she searched through her purse for her ringing cell phone.

The hanyou was only too happy to see his roommate answer the phone. He moved further away from the area and tried to hide behind the crowd queuing up for buying tickets. "Shaya, is that you?" asked Kagome.

"Keh!" was all he replied. He needed to keep her preoccupied so that Hojo wouldn't put his arms around her again. "Um…you shouldn't be walking outside alone at night. Maybe I should pick you up at the movie theater?"

"Oh, Shaya. I am perfectly fine. Hojo is keeping an eye on me," answered Kagome with a gentle smile.

_That better be all he's keeping on you._ "You need someone with demonic senses to look after you. A human can't do that properly. I'll pick you up when you are done!" Shaya then slammed her cell phone shut to look back at her roommate across the crowd. She had a puzzled expression on her face.

"But I didn't even tell her where I was," Kagome muttered as she put her cell phone back in her purse. She seemed to suddenly realize that Hojo was beside her. She looked back up at her date with a bemused smile, and his vacant smile beamed back at her. Once again, his arm crept back around her waist.

Shaya couldn't help but to growl loudly.

The two teenagers seemed oblivious to everyone around them as they handed the attendant their movie tickets and walked inside. Shaya attempted to follow until he suddenly realized that he had no movie ticket and no money to pay for one. Panic started to overcome him as images of Hojo touching his roommate in the darkened theater played across his mind. He saw Hojo stroking Kagome's long legs, wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her in close to kiss her… _No fucking way!_

Inuyasha wasn't thinking. He was moving solely on instinct as he ran out of the line and made his way to the alleyway behind the building. With one quick leap, he was on the rooftop looking around for some way to enter. He quickly spied an access door on the upper level. Without any rational thought, he grabbed the door and swung it open. The door had been locked, but with his hanyou strength and panic ripped it off of its hinges to fall in a crumpled mess on the roof. He ran down the gloomy stairwell and found it ended in an electronic closet one floor down. The small claustrophobic room was darkened except for a myriad of lights flashing from the electrical boxes. The door to this room was also locked, but it only took a shove of his shoulder against the barrier for it to swing open. Inuyasha hadn't noticed, but he had managed to wreck two doorframes in a matter of seconds.

Shaya's curvaceous form moved quickly past the entryway and into the main hallway. She looked left and right until she noticed the door that had 'She's the Man' displayed above it. The hanyou exhaled in relief, once he was able to distinguish that Kagome's scent had recently passed into this room. The stunning girl with adorable white puppy ears stood tall and defiant as she straightened her back and walked into the auditorium with a purpose.

Her amber eyes quickly adjusted to the lowlight of the room and she was able to notice Kagome sitting next to Hojo near the front. Luckily, the entrance was in the back, so Kagome wouldn't see him as he entered. Shaya couldn't help but to look at the exceedingly long legs of Kagome's that crossed so delicately at her knees. Inuyasha could only hope that the jerk next to her hadn't noticed how enticing her legs were looking or how they seemed to go on forever past her tiny skirt.

Shaya quickly slipped in two rows behind the couple, and her amber eyes narrowed in suspicion as she noticed the boy's arm inching toward Kagome's shoulders. _Gotta stop him!_ Panic returned as she looked to and fro trying to find something to throw at the boy. She noticed a leftover bag of popcorn at her feet and quickly grabbed a few un-popped kernels to toss. With the speed and strength of a demon coursing through her veins, she heaved the small objects hard, and it bounced off Hojo's upper torso. Shaya's lips only curved into a malicious grin as she tried to ignore the boy who was trying to make the moves on his girl. Instead, she stared straight ahead as if nothing was amiss. The boy turned to look behind him and then his gaze seemed to linger a little too long in Shaya's direction. However, Inuyasha stared steadily ahead ignoring the asshole who was trying to touch his roommate. Once Hojo had turned back around to look at the movie screen, a triumphant smirk crossed the hanyou's lips. _Just try that one more time! You're never getting anywhere with me around!_

The lights started to dim and the movie started to play. Inuyasha was quickly introduced to a bizarre plotline that had a girl named Viola, pretending to be her twin brother, Sebastian, so that she could join an all-boy's soccer team. _There's no way that a girl could successfully pretend to be a guy._ He looked down at the tiny miniskirt he was wearing, his long, slender legs and then turned his pink painted nails around in the limelight. _Well, maybe a girl could successful pretend to be a guy…_

He had looked at his manicured nails too long and hadn't been paying enough attention to his roommate, because before he knew it he spied Kagome's date surreptitiously moving his hand around her back again. The teenage boy started to squeeze the miko's ivory shoulders before another volley of popcorn kernels pelted the boy squarely in the back of his head.

"Ouch!" lamented the boy as the hand that had previously rested on Kagome's shoulder wrapped itself around his neck. Then, just like last time, the boy turned to look behind him. He stared for a moment too long and seemed to be looking right at Shaya. It was long enough for Kagome to notice that her date was no longer watching the movie, for she turned to see what the distraction had been as well.

Inuyasha tried to look unconcerned as his miko gazed right at him. At first, his roommate seemed puzzled and then a delicious smile beamed across her features. A smile he had previously seen directed at her 'date.' "Shaya," Kagome whispered when she recognized her roommate. "Come and sit with us!"

Shaya could only smirk maliciously as he watched Hojo's face widen in astonishment. The tall hanyou stood up and tried to lean down in order to not distract the other patrons of the theater as she moved to the seat beside Kagome.

The girl practically bubbled in excitement to see her roommate. "It's great to see you, Shaya. What are you doing here?"

Inuyasha noticed the beautiful curve of her lips and the way her eyes shone in the darkness as she looked at her in merriment. "Keh!" Not really having an answer, he simply crossed his arms in front of him and smirked at his roommate. Noting the confusion that was settling across Hojo's features, Shaya whispered, "The movie sounded fun. I wanted to see it." _As if I would really want to see some stupid chick flick._ Shaya tried to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

Kagome nestled closer to her and whispered in her puppy-like ear to keep the rest of the theater from hearing. Inuyasha could only try to stifle his moan as the girl he wanted fanned her warm breath over his sensitive appendage. "Next time, just tell me and we can make this a double date," she murmured.

"Keh!" he croaked in response as he gripped the arms of the seat and his claws started to tear into the fabric. His lower body had started to respond to his roommate's innocently seductive ways. He smiled cautiously at Kagome and gave her a sideways glance—also catching the eye of her curious and confused date.

Inuyasha barely watched the movie as he gazed at his roommate and watched her reactions. Her face scrunched up in anticipation as Viola (the girl pretending to a boy) tried to tell the boy she was in love with that she was really a girl. Then, she giggled uncontrollably as the girl finally proved she was a woman to her unbelieving roommate by pulling up her shirt to reveal her bare breasts. It was the simple moments like that, when Inuyasha was comfortable and he saw Kagome smiling that made the fluttering feeling in his gut lessen. Instead, it was replaced with a happy warmth. Almost on instinct, he reached out his hand to gather her smaller hand in his when he noticed her stiffen.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he saw Hojo's hand squeezing the miko's delicate kneecap. _No fucking way!_ The hanyou reached behind Kagome, so that she wouldn't see as he batted the boy's hand away. Her date quickly reeled back with another, "Ouch!" and Inuyasha was satisfied to see the boy pull his hand back.

Kagome didn't notice the look that passed between Hojo and Shaya. But, the hanyou girl only smirked and turned a wicked glance at the dumbfounded boy. The boy simply stared back at her in befuddlement, holding his arm against his chest.

Shaya quickly settled back into her seat with a mean smile still plastered on her face. _Yeah, just bring it on, fucker. I can take you on any day._

Soon the movie was over and Shaya did her best to steer Kagome out of the movie theater and as far away from Hojo's wandering hands as possible. His roommate was either oblivious or simply enthralled that Shaya was there, since she paid little attention to her date as they walked out.

The nervous boy with sandy brown hair looked gingerly at Kagome and anxiously at Shaya. "I would be more than happy to take you both out for ice cream if you would like," the boy asked shyly as he scratched the back of his head.

Kagome was able to nod in the affirmative when Shaya quickly stood in front of the girl, attempting to block her response. "Oh no, Kagome and me have too much studying to do. Right, Kagome?"

"But, Shaya…I," stammered Kagome.

"Didn't you tell me that Myoga's history test was going to be a killer? We need to study!" answered Shaya with steely determination in her features.

The miko's lips parted in a question that was never voiced as she looked up at her suddenly overprotective roommate. Then, she drew her lips together and nodded. "I...I guess you are right, Shaya." Kagome turned to bow to Hojo and replied in a formal tone that had Inuyasha smiling in happiness. "My apologies, Hojo. Can we do this another time?"

The clueless young boy only stammered and continued scratching the back of his head as a blush crossed his cheeks. "Sure, Higurashi. I'll call you tomorrow, OK."

Inuyasha could only frown at the shy smile that graced the miko's lips as she nodded in agreement. Before any of the parties were aware, Shaya grabbed Kagome by her arms and swung her around so that she was facing opposite of Hojo. "We need to go. Have to study!" mumbled Shaya as she pulled her roommate after her.

"Talk to you later, Hojo," called out Kagome as she found herself tagging along after the impatient half demon.

Hojo only titled his head to the side in utter confusion before a winning smile erupted across his face. "I knew it! She likes me!" he declared in happiness as he turned around and shuffled back home.

While the trio parted in different directions, no one noticed the middle-aged man in the long black trench coat. Takeshi looked warily at Hojo and grimaced in thought before he straightened up his jacket and started to follow the oblivious young man.

_End of Chapter 6_

_**

* * *

Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Yes, we put 'She's the Man' in as the movie of the chapter due to popular demand. We love the irony of including it. (We'll have yet another fan recommended movie during the upcoming pajama party.)_

_#2: We've been having various complaints about Inuyasha's suffering in this story. Without giving away the entire plot, we do want everyone to know that Inuyasha will be having fun as well. He will not be suffering the entire time. Our beloved hanyou will be enjoying himself!_

_#3: In Japan, they normally do not use clothes dryers and instead hang out their clothes to dry._

_#4: Kajiro was a character in FallenAngel7583's 'Shades of Gray'. (And that's where we got the name from.) It's a wonderfully written, dark, adult fict. "Accidentally in Love," is Ai's favorite chapter!_

_#5: Japan (in Ai's opinion) is one of the safest countries in the entire world. (Due to firearms being illegal, the citizenry's sense of honor and some of the lowest crime statistics in the world.) Even though Inuyasha is worried about her walking around Tokyo alone at night, Kagome would normally be very safe. Inuyasha just feels an overwhelming urge to protect her._

_#6: In Japan, only law enforcement or the mafia (illegally) own firearms. Normal citizens cannot carry firearms. _

_#7: One of our betas was wondering about Kagome and her penchant for pink undergarments. We're actually borrowing that from Pinku's 'Fade and Flare.' (Another excellent story we heartedly recommend.) In that story and in here, Kagome only wears pink undergarments. What is Japanese anime without 'pink' stuff?_

_#8: Inuyasha's ringtone, "Change the World" is the theme song from the first season of Inuyasha._

_**Next Chapter:**__ We promise, Shaya will finally get a job…_


	7. The Working Class

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

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_**Warnings:**Please do not read if you find swearing, dirty talk or sexual situations disturbing. Trust me, we just find them immensely fun and entertaining—and we hope you do, too._

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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger and Theleb K'aarna!_

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This chapter was written by Ai Kisugi, with edits and additions by Karaumea._

**Chapter 7: The Working Class**

Takeshi frowned. Last night had been long. He had followed the hanyou girl and Kagome to the movie theater. However, he had been surprised to see a boy from the Hojo clan waiting to take Kagome on a date. It was too bad that the girl didn't know the boy's connections. He would have to warn her somehow. The Hojo family was trouble, and he knew that from personal experience.

He pulled his SIG-Sauer pistol out of his side holster and put it down on his rickety kitchen table. He pressed the magazine release button with practiced ease. He wasn't even looking at the gun as he caught the clip of ammo that slid out the bottom. He placed the clip on the cheap, linoleum table. Then, he carefully checked to make sure that the chamber was empty and that no ammo cartridges were stuck inside the housing.

He knew that there were no stray bullets inside, however his gun was a weapon. You always checked to make sure the firing chamber was clear—always. One mistake with a gun could end a life.

Takeshi then moved to his right to open up a thin, rectangular wooden box. Inside were cloths, rods, brushes, and cleaning solvent. His pistol really didn't need to be cleaned, but working on his piece slowly and methodically like he did every day was almost a catharsis for him. As usual, he was frustrated, and the monotony of the task he was doing simply let his pent up feelings find an outlet.

_Hojo. Why did that kid have to get involved?_ He pulled the slide all the way back and locked the pistol into place, opening up the barrel of the gun for inspection. He looked to see if there was any excess carbon soot marring the steel finish. _Luckily, Shaya was there._

The middle-aged man laughed to himself and his brown eyes twinkled in merriment. He recalled the 'date' that he had witnessed last night and the many attempts of Hojo to woo Kagome that were met with Shaya's frequent discouragement. He really didn't know what was funnier: the way Shaya pelted the young boy with popcorn kernels or Hojo's look of dismay every time his attempts to touch Kagome were repulsed.

_Ahhh…_Takeshi wiped a hand down his face. He had been a little worried when he found out that Shaya had been Kagome's new roommate—more than worried, in fact. However, now he saw the hanyou as someone who could protect Kagome from harm. Shaya had even saved her from a potentially fatal fall at a shopping center earlier that week.

_Shaya._Takeshi shook his head._ Inuyasha, that poor boy…_He knew who Shaya really was and he didn't envy the lad. It had been only a week since he trailed Naraku to the Takahashi building and the office of Sesshoumaru.

He had arrived well before Naraku and had noticed that Sesshoumaru's younger brother, Inuyasha, and Kouga Ookami had arrived. He was well aware of the two boys. Not only did they often tangle with the law, but they also had just managed to destroy a large portion of Naraku's property the night beforehand. Takeshi was surprised that they arrived just prior to the mob boss. It was well known that Naraku had put out a hit order on the two boys. Over a billion yen had been offered to anyone who could kill both of them. They were only teenagers, but Naraku was merciless and angry. Apparently, Kouga had also managed to sleep with the man's only daughter during their rampage. The older man grimaced. Shortly afterward, Naraku had arrived, and he was sure that the two boys would soon be found dead within the Takahashi building. Those two had no idea who they were messing with.

He was utterly surprised when he saw Inuyasha and Kouga leave the building with the headmistress of the Shikon Boarding School some thirty minutes later. Even more astounding was that this time they looked like female versions of themselves. He knew they were the same troublemakers. They wore the same clothes and they had the same features. It was just now they had feminine curves. The sheer hilarity of the situation made him laugh to himself again. _The look on their faces!_ Utter bewilderment, anger, befuddlement, and shock laced their features, while the headmistress corralled the girls as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Sesshoumaru Takahashi really managed to find the punishment that fit the crime. Takeshi assumed that the well-connected businessman had managed to get a hold of some very expensive and rare, demonic concealment charms. The two boys had already tangled with the law too many times. Hopefully, this penalty would calm them down and perhaps even change their ways for the better. They had been caught dealing drugs, getting into fights, and the Ookami boy had been arrested for having sex in a public place.

He was surprised to find out a few days later that the 'boys' were rooming with Kagome Higurashi and Ayame Kita. He was a little upset to know that two boys were sleeping in the same room with two teenage girls. However, after observing the situation he found that their disguises effectively gelded the 'boys.' The two boys turned girls seemed to be trying to keep from getting noticed, probably due to the embarrassment they would face if discovered.

He smiled as he pushed a cleaning rod down the neck of his automatic. As long as those two boys didn't get frisky with any of the girls, he would let them keep their disguises. If they were in their true forms, Naraku would have killed them already. The mob boss was practically seething in rage over the accumulated losses that they had done to him. And the last thing he wanted to do was to help the mob boss kill some hapless teenagers—even if those teenagers were troublemakers.

Until Naraku was exposed and put behind bars neither those two boys nor Takeshi could ever hope to lead a normal life again. All he needed was evidence.

Takeshi's cleaning was done, and his fingers fairly flew as they locked pieces of the gun back together. He slid the magazine chamber into place. It was a fully loaded clip with 12 rounds.

_Soon, Naraku…soon._

* * *

Shaya sat down in front of an old computer model in the high school computer lab. He tried not to growl in frustration. Before he was stuck on campus as a 'girl' he had more money than he knew what to do with and had every electronic gadget known to man. Now, he was stuck using a rundown computer that was loaded with software from eons ago and had a keyboard with missing keys. _At least it doesn't connect to the Internet with a modem!_

Inuyasha started to search on the Internet for a job that he could apply to. _What sort of job hires girls with no experience? _He found a job website and did a search with the keywords: no experience. Several options were then listed on the screen and he started to scroll through the offerings.

As he started to look, he saw that his erstwhile demon companion was strangely engrossed in his computer. Shaya peered over to look at Kori's computer monitor. Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the many windows that had erupted all over the screen. Most of the windows had erotic pictures of half-nude women and most of the captions read, 'Women seeking women.' Kori had managed to find the lesbian personal ads. He had also found a link to 'Gold Finger:' a lesbian club in Tokyo. The wolf demon was also madly engrossed in an online chatroom called, 'Cyber Dykes.'

"What the hell are you doing, bim-bo?" remarked Shaya a little too loudly for the other members of the computer lab, who looked at him with irritation.

"Keep it down, dog-breath," answered Kori as she grinned wolfishly. "You don't know how long I have fantasized about being in a lesbian chatroom." The demon scrolled down the site showing various pictures of girls in all manners of dress and undress.

Shaya looked at the screen with a bored gaze. Most of the girls that were pictured looked more like men than women. Most of them had short haircuts; some of them even had buzzcuts or were bald. It was as if they were trying to get rid of their lovely feminine mystique by looking like a man.

Kori pointed out a picture to Shaya. "I'm going to try to meet up with this girl."

Inuyasha looked down at the personal ad Kouga was perusing. _Lipstick lesbian seeks feminine-acting woman for romance. I pack. No butches._Inuyasha paused as he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "What's a lipstick lesbian?" asked Shaya a little too loudly.

"Shut the fuck up!" responded Kori as she grabbed Shaya forcefully by her silvery forelocks and pulled her down to see the girl he was trying to meet up with. Then the wolf demon spoke in a subdued voice so that no one else could hear. "It means she looks and acts like a normal girl. No short haircuts or butch behavior. She just likes fucking girls. I'm going to ask her to meet up with me." Shaya pursed her lips as she looked at the picture. The girl had black hair, a china doll haircut and crimson eyes that held an odd gleam. She was obviously a demon.

"Hey, what's with the 'I pack' stuff?" queried Shaya.

"Dunno," answered Kori. "And I don't care. I need to get laid."

"Don't you think she'll notice that you don't have the right equipment?" added Shaya dryly as she crossed her arms and arched a perfectly manicured black eyebrow.

"I'll tell her it's a strap-on," replied Kori nonplused. "I'm telling you. I just need to fuck something and do it soon. I'm loosing my mind."

Shaya only rolled her eyes and started to look over the listings again. It didn't take long for another set of demonic eyes to start gazing at her monitor.

"What are you staring at, Kor-ree?" questioned Shaya a little too loudly.

The wolf demon started to read the listing on Shaya's computer screen. "Seventh Heaven club. Needs waitress. No experience necessary. Will train. Uniform provided. 2,000 Yen/Hour. Roppongi Street." Kori looked at Shaya quizzically. "You're trying to get a job, muttface?"

Inuyasha glared at his demon friend before printing out the listing and then closing up the computer screens. "Yeah. I'm broke and…" Shaya paused before she lowered her voice and cupped her clawed hand in front of her mouth. She started to whisper conspiratorially, "Kagome agreed to go out on a date with me."

"What?" Kouga turned Shaya around to look at him as he whispered, "She said she'd date you? Is Kagome a lesbian?" Kouga's face was crestfallen. "Damn, all the hot chicks are playing for the other team!" Inuyasha almost started to laugh, but he was able to withhold his guffaw into a snicker.

Inuyasha took Kouga's arm aside. "No, wolf shit. She agreed to date Inuyasha." Then Shaya mumbled to herself, "Whenever he can show up."

Kori's sorrow turned into bemusement as she started to laugh, which further disrupted the other girls trying to work in the computer lab. More angry glares were sent their way.

"Shut up, Kori," responded Shaya with embarrassed dismay.

"Oh damn, you just get yourself into so much shit sometimes," said Kori as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. After a moment she sobered up a little. "You know, I might need some money, too. You know, to take this bitch out on a date and to pay for a hotel room. Who knows how many times we will be shacking up," she whispered before putting her hands on her hips and thrusting forward suggestively.

Inuyasha ignored Kouga's antics. He had seen it all before, so he just decided to change the subject. "And to pay me back the 5,000 Yen you owe me, Kor-ree," answered Shaya will a smirk.

"Owe you? Money, since when?" asked Kori in astonishment.

"Didn't someone say that he'd be banging a new girl everyday here? We made a bet."

Kori's lips curled in peevishness. "Yeah, but I still have time. I just need to get involved with an 'all girls network.'"

Shaya only rolled her eyes as she grabbed her printout and walked out of the computer lab. The hanyou ignored his wolf demon friend and instead focused on the job ad in front of her. She walked down the school's hallway oblivious to everything.

"Hey, Shaya. Wait for me. I need to earn some money, too," called the wolf demon, who quickly scampered after his hanyou companion.

* * *

"I'm in heaven," Kouga murmured as they stepped foot into the strip club known as the 'Seventh Heaven.' Surrounding them was a glimmering, raised walkway in the middle of the dance floor and numerous poles. Kouga's mind was already imagining the many female strippers walking down the aisle and gyrating their naked, oiled bodies against the scattered posts. His face held a rakish smile.

"It's just a name, wolf-shit," countered Inuyasha as he tried to keep his face from showing his unease. When the hanyou had printed out the job wanted ad for a waitress, he had no idea that the location was actually a strip tease bar in the middle of downtown Tokyo. _No wonder the pay was good!_

"Hello, girls. Are you looking for someone?" asked a silky, masculine voice from behind the bar counter.

Shaya and Kori turned to see a handsome man with a long, black braid snaking behind him. He was wearing a traditional man's white and gray kimono and had a curious, star shaped tattoo on his forehead. The man smiled at the girls winsomely, and his eyes wandered over their forms with appreciation.

Shaya could only blanch in sudden horror at being checked out by a guy. Kori also seemed a little perturbed by the man's gaze, but suddenly decided that a job involving lots of naked women was worth some measure of discomfort. Naturally, Kori turned on the charm as her cerulean blue eyes twinkled in merriment.

"Yes," answered Kori coolly as she gazed evenly at the dark-haired man in front of her. She winked before she continued, "We're responding to a job ad for some waitresses. I am Ookami, Kori and this is Takahashi, Shaya."

The man's steady grin faltered for a moment. "Oh, you're not here to try out for a position as a dancer?" His eyes raked in their forms, and Shaya had the unpleasant sensation that the man was undressing them with his eyes. Inuyasha was about to growl before Kouga elbowed him in the stomach.

The wolf demon's eyes started to glimmer in total bliss as he started to imagine himself in a strip tease dance with several nude girls grinding against him on the stage. The lecherous grin on his face seemed in complete dissidence to his girlish façade.

"Don't even think about it, wolf-shit," muttered Shaya behind him. The wolf demon then sighed petulantly to only put on a forced grin when facing the man in front of him. "No, we're here for the waitressing position," countered Shaya as she stepped in front of her demon friend and crossed her arms under her ample cleavage.

"I see," said the man. He grinned impetuously before he took a perfunctory bow before the girls. "My name is Bankoutsu. I run this establishment." Again, he gazed at the girls who returned the bow and then nodded to himself as if making a decision. "Usagi?" he called out airily as he waved his hand.

Soon a very tall girl with long blonde hair and two silly buns on the side of her head walked in from a side door. The girl was wearing an extremely short and revealing outfit that seemed a complete mockery of a schoolgirl's 'sailor suit' uniform. She giggled as she bowed.

Shaya frowned in annoyance. _A complete and utter airhead…_

Kori, on the other hand, bowed in response and then took the girl's hands in her own. "I'm sure that we'll become great friends," the wolf demon added as he gazed into her baby blue eyes.

"Tee hee," she replied as she continued to giggle. The tall blonde dropped her hands from Kori and looked expectantly at Bankoutsu.

"Ah, yes. My girl. I think we need to try out Kori and Shaya for the night," Bankoutsu said while he gestured to each of the girls in turn who were standing uneasily near the bar. "We need to see if they can handle it when this place is packed. Be sure to get them into the special 'waitress' kimonos," he added with a gleam in his eye.

"Right away, boss," responded Usagi as she saluted the man with two fingers. She then gestured for the two girls to follow her into the dressing rooms near the far end of the stage.

Kori was watching the girl's hips swing in front of him. The little navy blue skirt she wore barely covered her rear and she had legs nearly as long as Kagome's. _Damn, I'm going to love this job!_

When they walked into the room, they saw numerous dressing tables lined with gleaming globe lights, racks of sequined, satin and feathery clothing in every hue, and a set of gray lockers on the far side. There were already a few girls in the area who were putting on makeup or styling their hair. "I'm so happy that you two girls showed up," added Usagi with a smile. "Things have been getting really busy lately. The 'Lady of the West' is really pulling in the crowds."

"Lady of the West?" parroted Kori with a mischievous grin on his face.

Usagi didn't catch the look on Kori's face and instead walked forward to look at the rack of costumes. She pulled out a few tiny, silk kimonos and seemed to be having trouble deciding on which color would look best on them.

"Yes," the girl commented absentmindedly. "She's our main act. You'll see her performing tonight. She has this great act with these feather boas." The blonde girl paused before she nodded to herself. "I think these two uniforms will do. OK girls, try these ones on… Oh and take off your bras. Bankoutsu likes us to appear 'au naturale.'"

"I'm not wearing one," added Kori with a grin.

"Oh, yeah. I see," responded Usagi as if they were simply talking about the weather. "My boyfriend, Mamoru, likes it when I don't wear one as well." The girl then broke out in giggles again. "He says that he likes to see me jiggle when I move." She elbowed Kori to let her in on the joke. "The patrons love it as well! Oh, and here's a red kimono for you…."

The tall blonde girl handed Shaya a very short, crimson kimono with a smile. However, the dog-eared girl could only grimace as she picked up the garment and eyed it critically. _I think a washcloth would cover more._ Holding the sorry excuse for a dress over his torso, the agitated half-demon shook his head in dismay, his ears drooping to disappear into his hair. _A washcloth would definitely cover more._ There was no way he was going to be caught wearing that thing. _No fucking way!_ Frowning in determination, he turned to leave. He was going to tell that freak of a boss exactly where that kimono would look best. However, a sudden thought froze him in place. _Kagome. The date._He could still remember how he squirmed in discomfort when Kagome had paid for him—repeatedly. _Now, that's not happening again._ If there was anything less manly for a dog demon than dressing like a whore, it was having your bitch provide for you. _And this job pays really well…_ Grudgingly, the distraught teenager turned to his companions, the red silk he was expected to wear clutched in his fist.

Clueless to the macho hanyou's inner conflicts, Usagi continued beaming a smile as she gave Kori another cobalt blue kimono. "Here you go, girl. This one will match your pretty eyes."

The girl then put her hands on her hips and motioned to her two new subordinates. "Now get undressed! Chop chop! I'm going to need to tie those obis on for you."

Shaya blanched and her face erupted in a lovely shade of red. "But, I…," she stammered.

Usagi just smiled at her with a gleam in her eye. "Oh, don't worry girl, it's not like we don't have all the same parts. Now hurry up!" The girl waved her hands at them in an attempt to hurry them in their efforts to disrobe.

Shaya's blush turned her face crimson as she turned away from both Usagi and Kori. She tried everything she could to disrobe without revealing too much skin. However, once she was only down to her bow-tied cotton underwear the blonde-haired girl started wrapping the red, silk kimono around Shaya's voluptuous frame.

"Wow," murmured Usagi. "You barely fit into this one. You're really busty." The girl turned Shaya around so that her bare chest was facing her and then folded the silky fabric gently over one breast and then another.

"Uh, thanks?" muttered Inuyasha who was distinctly unnerved by having a girl he didn't even know dressing him. As the hanyou looked at the girl and how little the kimono covered; he swallowed in nervousness. The kimono had a deep plunging neckline. In fact, the neckline dropped almost to her navel and revealed almost all of Shaya's tanned skin from one breast to the next. Only her nipples were barely covered, and if Shaya were to swivel a little one way, her entire bosom would have fallen out of the top.

The hanyou grew pale and tugged at the hem of the kimono, which scarcely covered her underwear. Shaya's legs from the top of her thighs to her pretty, pink painted toenails were on complete display.

Kori only laughed, causing Shaya to flip him off while she glared. Usagi didn't notice Inuyasha giving his friend the bird and continued to swathe the girl in a golden obi. The elaborate waist cincher drew into a looped knot at Shaya's back that looked like an elaborate bow.

"There now... All wrapped up," murmured Usagi as she slapped Shaya on the bottom.

"Ahhhh," yelped Shaya in complete surprise as she put her hands on her butt to keep any further molestation from happening.

Usagi just grinned impishly at the hanyou. "Oh, that was nothing. I'm just trying to get you used to what is going to happen tonight. The men here have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves." She then turned to Kori, who was only wearing black boxer shorts and giggled again. "Oh, what an interesting choice of underwear. Are those your boyfriend's?"

Kori grew pale at the insinuation. "No, I don't have a boyfriend. I just like to hang loose."

The sailor suit clothed girl only started to giggle again. "You are so silly. Now it's time to get you dressed. Turn around."

The wolf demoness only grinned impetuously as she raised her arms and let Usagi wrap her body in the tight-fitting silk. In no time at all, Kori was wearing a short blue kimono and silver obi that showed every inch of her legs and most of her bosom.

Usagi motioned for the two girls to turn around and after thoughtfully pausing she pulled two separate pairs of stiletto heels from the shoe racks. "OK, girls, try these on," she commanded as she put the high-heeled shoes in front of the two demons.

Shaya sat down and stared at the spiky heels and the steep incline of the shoes. _How in the hell do girls wear these things?_ He tried to slide his foot in, but his feet were larger than they looked under the concealment charm.

"What? I thought that size would fit you," said the blonde thoughtfully. When a grunt from Kori indicated that she had the same problem, the girl gave them bigger sizes. After a few more trials and 20 minutes of searching, a stupefied and disheveled Usagi came out from a back closet with two pairs of shiny, strapped stilettos dangling in her hands. "These were brought in for a special transvestite show that we had last year." The girl missed the grimaces of her new companions as she continued, "I hope these fit, because we don't have a bigger size!"

Grumbling in frustration, Inuyasha slid his foot in and surprisingly, this time it fit. Already hating the feel of high heels on his feet, he carefully buckled the thin ankle strap. However, it was when he tried to get on his feet that he ran into the real problem.

Inuyasha tried to stand in the stiletto heels only to have his ankle nearly twist out from under him. The hanyou stumbled and fell promptly after only taking one step.

"Oh, girl!" Usagi called out. "Take it easy. Those heels are six centimeters high. You have to practice." The blonde girl then giggled as she grabbed Shaya's hands and tried to teach her how to walk. Usagi walked in front of her, leading Shaya like she was a wayward toddler walking for the first time.

The hanyou certainly stumbled and nearly fell. _How in the fuck do girls make this look so damn easy?_

Usagi motioned the two girls to sit down at the dressing table. She blithely ignored Shaya's fumbles as she made her way to the countertop.

The blonde quickly took out a makeup case and handed the brushes, pads and cosmetics to the girls. "Will you two put on your own makeup? I need to check in with the other girls before the customers start to show up. Oh and use these ones." She quickly gave them a lipstick tube of 'flaming red,' eyeshadows called 'blue desire' and 'pink orgasm,' a blush called 'deep throat,' a mascara called 'stiletto,' and a coverup called 'naked lunch.'

The two 'boys turned girls' looked at the collection in front of them with wary eyes. Shaya picked up a tube of lipstick and twisted the stick in her hands. "How in the hell do you put this on?" she asked with trepidation.

Kori grabbed the tube from Shaya's hands. "Like this!" The wolf demon took off the lid, twisted the crimson red lipstick and smeared it all over her lips. The result looked more like clown makeup than something a sexy, ebony-haired women like Kori should have on her lips.

"Buwahaha!" exclaimed Shaya as she suddenly found humor in their bizarre situation. "You look so stupid!"

Kori was not to be outdone and quickly slashed her buddy with the lipstick, leaving numerous wide swaths of red color on her cheeks that looked like warpaint. "Muhahaha!" guffawed Kori as she held her clenched arms to her stomach and fell over laughing.

"That's not fucking funny!" yelled Inuyasha as he grabbed eyeliner and started to draw X's and O's on Kori's face. The wolf demon wasn't about to let things stop at that and managed to grab the 'blue desire' eyeshadow and swabbed it across Shaya's nose and cheeks.

"Girls, how are you…?" Usagi's question lingered in the air as she spied the two girls with brushes and lipstick tubes in their respective hands battling it out at their dressing room table. The formerly beautiful girls wore makeup that looked like children had smeared finger-paints all over their faces.

The blonde girl sighed wearily. "I just knew this was going to be a long night."

_

* * *

_

I can do this.

Inuyasha repeated that same mantra again and again in his head as he tried to steady himself on his tall, spiky heels. He held a silver tray with one hand and was about to try stepping out onto the crowded club floor. He stumbled a little, his ankles a little wobbly from being much farther off the ground than what he was used to. _Fuck. How can girls do this without breaking their necks?_

He teetered precariously, but managed to maintain his balance as he slowly walked forward. He kept his eyes glued straight ahead to keep from jostling his unstable equilibrium. Luckily for Inuyasha, he didn't notice that men were watching his every move.

Shaya was everyman's dream even though she wobbled as she walked. She was an ethereal goddess with a curvaceous body, mesmerizing golden eyes, silvery waist-length hair and lovely long legs. She appeared even more exquisite in the tiny, scarlet kimono and golden obi that accentuated her tiny waist and shapely hips. Inuyasha was oblivious to his gorgeous looks, and since he had been desensitized to it long ago, he had no idea that his sweet rose scent was intoxicating. _Just serve drinks and walk. That's it. I can do this!_

He made his way to a group of men who were looking at him expectantly. He bent down to place several cocktail napkins in front of the group. "What would you like to order?" he asked with nonchalance.

"You on my lap," answered the panther demon in front of him.

Shaya looked up and her eyes bugged out of their sockets. _What in the hell did that fucker say? That bastard! _She clenched her fists; ready to bury the idiot's smirk into the depths of his head. A savage growl began to vibrate in her red, silk covered chest. However, two warm chocolate eyes and a dazzling smile flashed before her eyes—effectively stopping her from getting herself fired. _Calm down, you need this job. You need money to take Kagome out on a date. Calm down. _"I'm only taking orders for drinks," she added with a heated glare.

"Oh, she shot you down, Daisuke," said one of his compatriots. "So lovely, would you sit on my lap instead?"

Inuyasha felt the veins in his temples pulsing. "I said no, you fucker. Now, what do you want to drink?" seethed the hanyou girl.

"Oh, whoah, lady. Calm down. We're just kidding. We'll all have some Kirin beer, right boys?" The other men in the group nodded their heads. "And keep it coming, OK babe?" The panther demon took a 2,000 Yen bill out of his wallet and tried to slip it into Shaya's kimono top.

The hanyou girl was able to grab the bill before it got too near to her skin. "Thanks, bub," she responded dismissively as she turned around to get their orders.

Meanwhile, Kori was also trying her hand at waitressing. Kouga really couldn't help but to admire the sights all around him: numerous waitresses in short, tight dresses and strippers in various states of undress. He had actually been rather lazy for the last few minutes as he watched strippers toss their clothing aside and then made their way around the room selling their lap dances. _This is the best job that any man could ever hope to have!_

With a grin that belied his internal happiness, the wolf demon made his way to one of the many tables. "Would you gentlemen like to buy some drinks?" he asked with a disarming smile.

The man were startled by his entrance, but simply nodded and then the mood changed quickly as they grinned wolfishly.

He was momentarily alarmed. He knew that look—it was the very one that crossed his face every time he was at one of these clubs. It was a look of predatory desire. The look that denoted a succulent dish had been placed before you and that you were simply dying to get a taste. He swallowed nervously when he realized that the dish that was being savored was him and that the group before him wanted a bite.

Kouga nervously placed cocktail napkins in front of each man. Suddenly, he froze in place when he felt hands creep under his skirt and snaked under his boxer shorts. Without even thinking he smacked the hand that was touching his ass like it was an offending fly.

"Ouch, the bitch has one hell of a slap," said a masculine voice behind him.

Kori quickly stood ramrod straight and moved her silver tray to cover her rear end. The wolf demon rapidly decided that if there were no drinks on his tray that it would be a shield instead. "What do you want to order?" she asked and this time her voice was squeaky with anxiety. The men only grinned deviously at her while they told her their orders.

Once the wolf demon was done, she quickly walked away with the silver tray securely covering her retreat.

Both Shaya and Kori managed to survive for one more hour, but the toll was evident. Shaya's obi was partially untied and trailed behind her loosely. Her beautiful, silver hair was now a frazzled mass somewhat akin to her mood.

Kori didn't look much better. Her cobalt blue kimono hung askew on her shoulders. More than a fair section of her shoulders and breasts were showing. She was constantly tugging at the top in order to keep her bosom from falling out.

The hanyou had a full cadre of drinks on her silver tray and was trying to balance them on her shoulder as she tried to wind her way to Kori.

Shaya stopped in front of her friend, her agitation evident from the twitching of her eyebrows. "No amount of money is worth this!" she complained vehemently to her demon friend.

Kori looked around the private club as she blew out a breath of air. As much as he disliked the attention that the men were giving him, at least he had some lovely sights to enjoy. He looked wistfully at a stripper who was jiggling and bouncing at the stage wearing only a red g-string.

"Well, there are some benefits," the wolf demon tried to reason.

"They're fucking groping me at every opportunity!" yelled his hanyou friend. It looked like the veins in the half-demon's forehead were pulsing and about to burst. "I can't even bend down without someone grabbing my ass!"

Kori looked at Shaya's disheveled appearance and was about to make a comment about her lovely assets—but decided that he wanted to survive the night. "Well, we have to pay the piper in order to reap the rewards," he answered while grinning mischievously. He gestured to the dancer with the bare body and oiled skin.

Shaya's eyebrows twitched again and her right eye seemed to have developed a tick. "I've fucking had enough! I'm out of here!" The tense and weary half demon shoved his tray full of drinks into Kori's hands and then made his way to the back door. "Don't fucking touch me!" he yelled one final time as yet another man from the club tried to fondle her ass in passing. The unlucky man was hit furiously across the jaw and was slammed to the floor as the gorgeous hanyou girl stormed outside in a huff.

Once he hit the cool night breeze, Inuyasha threw off his spiky high heels, and they tumbled onto the wet, slimy cement of the alleyway. Then, he jumped to the nearest building and crouched before springing up with a frenzied force. Blood was pumping through his veins, and he really didn't recall ever being this angry. All he could do was leap and run—otherwise he would never cool off. _Fuck. I lost my first job. Fuck!_

Unbeknownst to Inuyasha, Kouga was still trying to keep his job at the place he had called 'heaven'. However, unfortunately for the wolf demon, heaven was rapidly turning into a manmade hell.

Kouga knew that he looked good as a woman. He had often admired his naked physique in the mirror. _Hell, I even propositioned myself!_ Tonight, he knew that he was even hotter than usual. He had never worn sexy clothing as a woman before and he had certainly never worn makeup. But, he realized enough to know that he was now everyman's wet dream come to life, strutting up and down the floor of this nightclub in his stiletto heels.

It didn't take long for him to find the unwanted male attention annoying. And annoyance quickly turned into disgust, which was now blending into something akin to dread.

Kori quickly made her way to a drunken table of revelers who had been slipping a few bills to her throughout the evening. As much as he disliked the attention that the men were giving him, at least he had some lovely sights to enjoy. He looked wistfully at a stripper who was grinding up against one of the poles in the middle of the stage. _What a lucky pole._

"Hey, girlie. I'm talking to you!" a man yelled right next to him.

Kouga quickly snapped his face back to the men immediately in front of him and breathed in deeply. "What would you like to order?" he drawled as he placed the cocktail napkins on the table. This time he was wiser and the round silver tray was now flat up against his rear end, reflecting off any unwanted hands.

"You know what I want girlie," answered the man snidely as his eyes raked the girl up and down. Before him was another drunken demon that would not leave him alone.

Kori gritted her teeth. "I'm not on the menu. Is there a drink you want to order?"

The demon's smile widened, and he could see sharp teeth and fangs. "I told you that I want you. And I always get what I want."

_How in the hell can I get him to back off?_"Well, I'm not interested. I'm a dyke. I only take girls to my bed if you know what I mean."

Kouga thought he had been incredibly clever to mention his penchant for girls. He had thought it would cool the man's ardor. But then he quickly realized that not only was it the wrong thing to say, but that if he were in that man's shoes, he would have reacted the same way. The male demon in front of him wore a broad smile and his fangs peeked over his thin lips. _Oh Shit!_

"I've always wanted to bang a lesbian and let her see how it should be done. One night with me and you'll be a convert. Just bring your girlfriend along," said the demon smoothly with desire in his eyes. "You don't know what you've been missing babe until you've had a real cock in your pussy." The man moved forward with newfound energy and wrapped his strong, hairy arms around Kori's midsection. "What do you say babe, we can leave this joint and I could take you to my apartment."

Ookami, Kouga was actually patient for a demon. He could even put up with some occasional groping if it meant that he could see naked women dancing all night. But even he had his limits.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" Kouga screamed. Using all of his demonic might he slammed the demon that was manhandling him into the nearby wall. Kouga wasn't homophobic; he just couldn't handle a male groping him. He was the one who usually did the groping. Having the tables turned on him sickened him immensely. "I don't want you to ever touch me," he yelled as he made a flying kick to the man's upper-torso.

The demon had already drunk his fair share of alcohol that night. The last kick he had received was enough to make him go limp like a puppet without any strings. The other men who had sat next to the fallen demon pulled back in surprise and alarm.

Kori wiped her hands in front of the passed out drunk as if to clean her hands of the whole affair. Kouga had never been so humiliated or so emasculated. He had thought it would be fun to work at a strip tease bar. It would be great to check out naked women all night for free. But it wasn't worth his masculinity—of which there was very little left at the moment—to hold this job.

Kouga had finally had enough. Retreat could never be quick enough from this hell on earth. He threw his silver tray to the ground. Then he tried to walk, with what little dignity he had left out the front door. Unfortunately, his high heels made him stumble a bit on his way out. Kori quickly ripped off the troublesome shoes and then dashed out the door. _If I ever come back there again, it will be too soon._

* * *

A middle-aged man watched the exchange from a dark corner of the club. Takeshi took another drag of his cigarette as he watched Kori storm out of the 'Seventh Heaven' just as Shaya had done earlier. He wasn't too sure as to why the two 'boys turned girls' had tried to work at the private club. _Didn't they know Naraku owns this club? In which case, they are playing with fire or are they just two young guys looking for a chance to ogle some naked women?_

He puffed the cigarette again as he cogitated. The dying embers glowed lava-red as a whispering trail of smoke wound its way into the darkness and neon that surrounded him. _Probably the former…_He smashed what was left of the tan roll into an aluminum cigarette tray. He brought up his black trenchcoat and put his hands through the sleeves again.

Just as he was about to make his way out of the smoke-filled pit, he heard the announcement for the main strip tease act that was about to grace the stage. He frowned. This wasn't the type of place he normally visited and now it was time to leave. He'd have to keep a better eye on the two hapless boys in order to find out the true reason as to why they were here tonight.

Takeshi was making his way to the front door, and unfortunately for him he was near the glossy-hued walkway that was the center of the stage. He heard the announcement and then saw the next stripper.

"And why don't you give a round of applause for the walking sex queen, the woman who only wears feather boas—let's hear it for—the Lady of the West!" He could hear the hoots, yells and applause as a petite young woman with long brown hair and doe-brown eyes walked proudly to the center stage. Just as the announcer had said, all she was wearing were white feather boas that trailed behind her like some sort of long white tail. The boas were wrapped all around her form like fur—fur she was about to shed.

All Takeshi could do was gape in absolute horror and astonishment. He averted his eyes—he could not look at her right now. "No, not her! Not here! She can't be here!" he whispered.

* * *

Blackness surrounded Inuyasha as he jumped up to the second story window of the dorm room he shared with Kagome. The dorm mother had already locked the front doors. This was the only way he could get in this late at night. He tried to be as silent as he could as he slid the window open and then cautiously moved inside.

If there were one thing he hoped to avoid, it would be Kagome seeing him in an emasculating outfit. It was only because he wanted to earn enough money to take Kagome on a date that he resigned himself to wearing something so revealing. Frankly, the getup he wore only filled him with self-loathing and ill ease. But, that would pale to the humiliation of Kagome seeing him dressed this way.

He looked around warily in the dark as he tried to tiptoe past his sleeping roommate. It should be easy to do. She was such a heavy sleeper. He suddenly felt a prickling sensation running along the back of his neck. _Oh no, she can't be awake…she…_

"Shaya-chan?" called out his roommate's sleepy voice as she stretched and then casually switched on the overhead light.

Inuyasha winced inwardly. His shoulders hunched over, and he refused to meet her shocked face. _No, I never wanted you to see me this way._

"Shaya-chan!" Kagome yelled. "What are you…? Why are you wearing that? What happened?" The questions flowed quickly as she looked in dumbfounded astonishment at her roommate.

Shaya was standing under the harsh light of the room in a tight, red, silk kimono. The girl's ample figure and tanned skin could be easily seen since the dress covered nothing other than the bare essentials. The red silk was cut high at the hip, so that Shaya's long, shapely legs could be seen almost from the junction of her thighs down to her delicate ankles. The top of the kimono was cut down nearly to the girl's naval and her ample breasts seemed to almost fall out of her top. Kagome looked at the girl's face, which was reddened in shame and embarrassment. It was then that the miko noticed for the first time that Shaya was wearing heavy makeup. She wore black eyeliner stylized like an Egyptian, thick mascara that let her already long lashes seem garish, harsh neon-pink eyeshadow above each eye, blood red rouge on each cheek and dark crimson lipstick that was applied generously to her pouty lips. Her hanyou roommate no longer looked like the schoolgirl she knew; instead, she looked like a strikingly beautiful prostitute.

"Don't…don't look at me, Kagome. It's bad enough that I had to wear this," answered Shaya as she clenched her fists and looked at the floor with dismay.

Kagome threw off her bedcovers and walked over to Shaya. "What? Why, Shaya? Did you want to wear this?"

Her hanyou roommate laughed bitterly as she ran her red painted nails through her long, silver strands. "You think I wanted this?!" asked the hanyou girl as a clawed nail pointed to the bare spot between her breasts where most of her upper torso was on complete display. "I...I tried to get a job, Kagome. I really tried…" The girl's jaw clenched in frustration as she moved to her futon and sat down in utter dejection and humiliation. "I never had a job before. So this was all I could get. I was a waitress at the 'Seventh Heaven.'"

The miko's eyebrows pursed in confusion. "Seventh Heaven? What is that, Shaya? Some sort of gentlemen's club?"

Shaya snorted in response and crossed her arms in front of herself. The gesture effectively covered the large expanse of skin from the swells of one breast to the other.

Shaya turned her golden orbs at Kagome. "You could say that."

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. "Why, Shaya?"

Her hanyou roommate looked down at the floor and sat down on her futon with resignation. "I just…I just needed the money, and they pay well. I had no choice."

Kagome rushed to the girl and knelt in front of her. In one swift movement, she pulled Shaya into a fierce hug. Inuyasha let out a breath of astonishment as the girl he loved embraced him.

"Shaya, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Shaya-chan."

Inuyasha looked down at his roommate in utter bewilderment as she clung to him. He had often dreamed of feeling her warmth press up close to his own. However, so far it had only happened twice. The first time was when he had the accident in the shower. He still remembered the way her slick, naked skin rubbed up against his nude wetness as she held him—water cascading around them—and the way his skin felt so achingly hot. He had wanted to respond to her caresses that day, to touch her in return. But, she would have thought he was a lecherous lesbian if he had tried anything. So he had to remain content to just let her touch him while his he lower half ached miserably.

Now, she was holding him again, and he couldn't help but to respond. Gingerly, he pulled his arms around the miko and brought her to him in a welcoming embrace. There was nothing else now, just him holding the girl he loved in his arms—her soft, giving form enveloped in his strong arms and pressed so sweetly against his body. _Gods, Kagome…_

Kagome sniffed as if she was trying to hold back a sob. Then much to Inuyasha's chagrin she pulled away from him and placed one of his clawed hands in her own.

The miko tugged as she stood. "Come on, Shaya. I'll wash that makeup off your face." Inuyasha followed behind dutifully, looking at his roommate in a daze. She was wearing her red and white 'Big Dog' t-shirt again that barely covered her ass. Some of her satiny pink panty was visible as she walked ahead of him—each sway of her hip revealing another glimpse of a smooth, rounded butt cheek and shimmering pink.

Soon they found themselves in the bathroom and Kagome motioned for Shaya to sit on the rim of the bathtub. Inuyasha watched Kagome with curiosity as she pulled out some makeup remover and poured it onto a washcloth.

"Close your eyes, Shaya-chan," asked Kagome politely as she rubbed the cool cloth over Shaya's face. Obediently closing his eyes, Inuyasha reveled in her touch, its gentleness soothing his agitated nerves. "Shaya-chan?" asked Kagome hesitantly.

"Yes, Kagome?" answered Inuyasha as if he were in some dream-like trance.

"I am so sorry you had to go through that. I'll help you." Kagome paused to wipe off the girl's red lips, her fingers trailing over the surface that the terry cloth had just brushed over. Shaya opened her mouth and licked her lips as the digits moved away. "OK, Shaya-chan? I'll help you get a better job."

The corners of Shaya's pink mouth started to curve up in a glimmer of a smile. "You'd do that for me, Kagome?"

"Of course, I would, Shaya-chan. Now, let's get you out of that outfit," responded Kagome as she led Shaya back to her room and then pulled out some clothes from the drawers. "You like sleeping in shorts and t-shirts, right?"

Inuyasha only nodded as his roommate carefully placed a pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt on his futon. Then, he became startled as Kagome moved toward him and asked him to turn around. "What are you doing, Kagome?"

"Helping you out of this," remarked Kagome as she pulled on the obi wrap and started to untie the numerous wraps that encircled the girl's thin waist. The miko worked with patient ease as she pulled Shaya out of the golden obi and red silk. Before Inuyasha knew it, he was standing nearly nude in front of the girl he desired. Yet, he stubbornly refused to look down at his feminine form. The last thing he wanted to see were large breasts hanging from his curvy figure. It was so wrong that it disgusted him.

As much as he tried not to, he caught an errant glimpse of his exposed, tanned skin. Inuyasha blushed at his nudity, though Kagome seemed nonplused. _All she sees me as is a girl…_

Kagome turned to his bed and handed the t-shirt to the girl. Inuyasha ducked his head under the top and then took his shorts from her.

His roommate looked at him wistfully before she spoke. "I'll put in a good word for you tomorrow morning. I bet that I can get you a job where I work."

"Really?" Shaya answered as she pulled her red shorts onto her long and slender legs.

"Really," answered his roommate with a heartwarming smile. Kagome reached out her hand to Shaya's. "Tomorrow will be better."

Shaya could only smile as he saw Kagome turn and get under the covers of her futon. "Good night, Shaya."

"Good night, Kagome," Shaya murmured. His head was filled with thoughts of Kagome in his tight embrace and the girl stripping him of his clothes. He couldn't help it—his lower body started to respond. He tried to force his fervor away with disturbing images of an old, wrinkled Kaede having sex with an equally wrinkled and bone-thin Totosai. But those images quickly disappeared into the mist as Kagome's lithe, nude form beckoned him. Soon, his imagination took over and his nude male form was pressed up against her feminine softness. _Fuck!_

He waited until he heard Kagome's soft, steady breathing from across the room. Then, his hands found their way under his shorts again. _Fuck! And just after I washed these sheets to get rid of the stench!_

Any trepidation he might have had was quickly forgotten as his fantasy played again in his mind. Kagome was touching him, caressing him—more intimately than she had done minutes before. And all was right in his world.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke the next morning feeling optimistic. He found the feeling to be bizarre considering the roller coaster ride he had been on the past week. However, today was the day that Kagome would help him get a job at her work. Any place that Kagome worked had to be reputable, he imagined. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. If it wasn't he was sure to put an end to it. Kagome should never go through what he had faced last night—men groping him and gazing at his body like starving wolves. _No, Kagome will be kept pure and innocent._

Inuyasha smiled inwardly at his last declaration as he glanced across the room to sneak a peek at his roommate. He watched as Kagome stretched in her t-shirt. As her arms lifted above her head, the shirt rose up enough to reveal her smooth rounded ass and a glimpse of her toned abdomen. _Life is good…_

The brown-eyed girl sighed and reached into the top drawer of her dresser. She brought out another pink panty and bra, as well as a small red skirt and a white spaghetti top. What Inuyasha found curious was that she also took out a small teal-colored box. It was plastic and about the size of a slim wallet. Once she opened it up he saw rows of tiny blue pills. She pressed one pill out of the foil container and popped it in her mouth. She grimaced as the obviously bitter pill hit her tongue and she swallowed.

Shaya raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Kagome?" she asked.

"Hummm?" responded the miko sleepily as she pulled her old panties off and threw them in her clothes hamper. "Yes?"

Inuyasha tried not to be distracted by the girl bending over without any panties on. "Oh, uh. What was that? You took a pill?"

"Oh that," responded Kagome as she shimmied into a new panty and ripped her shirt off of her form. She was standing in front of him with her bare bosom and only a panty covering her. "Oh, it's just a birth control pill." The girl continued dressing by pulling her pink bra around her torso.

"A...a what?" rejoined Shaya in sudden alarm. "A b..birth…con..control pill?" she squeaked. The hanyou walked over to Kagome and started sniffing the air near her.

Kagome was suddenly jolted awake as she felt Shaya right next to her, sniffing like a dog. "Shaya, what are you doing?"

"But, you're a virgin, Kagome. Why do you need those?" Shaya asked while waving her hand in utter dismay at the small plastic blue box.

"How do you know I'm a…?" Kagome swallowed nervously and then straightened her back. She took a deep breath before continuing. "It's not for that. I mean, maybe someday… But I'm taking them to control, you know—that time of the month."

"Time of the month?" questioned Shaya in complete bewilderment.

"You know, the time when you feel sick and weak and you don't want anyone around."

"Oh," murmured Shaya in perplexity. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't know they had pills to control that sort of a thing. Hey! Why do you have a time of weakness? You're not a hanyou."

"What?" inquired Kagome. "Time of weakness?" It was Kagome's turn to look uncertain before a look of understanding graced her features. "Oh, I forgot. You go through 'it' two times during the month don't you? I'm sorry. Um, the pill only controls the menstrual cycle. You know, when women get their periods. You're talking about the time when you become human, right? Your time of weakness…?"

"Keh! What do you think I was talking about?" replied Shaya as she crossed her arms in front of herself.

Kagome only giggled in response. "Well, as far as I know, there are no pills for that. But I love these things. I only get my period four times a year with them."

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt the ground shift underneath him. This was a territory that no self-respecting male would ever wade into. "Uh, good for you," Shaya murmured as she turned and walked back to her side of the room. He shook his head as he tried his best to get the idea of Kagome and menstrual cycles out of his mind.

He stared ahead with determination as he tried to pick out clothes for today. It was Saturday and he needed something that would be acceptable for a job. Inuyasha realized that he had no idea what sort of clothes he should be wearing for the place Kagome worked at. "Um, Kagome? What sort of clothes should I wear for your workplace?"

Kagome turned to smile at him. "I have to change once I get there. I'll get you an outfit as well. Just dress nicely." Kagome walked over to his closet and pulled out a pretty yellow skirt and a white shirt. "This should do it," said Kagome warmly.

Shaya only looked at the skirt in utter dismay. "Do I have to wear a skirt?" the hanyou croaked.

Kagome tilted her head to the side. "Well, no you don't have to. But, you only have the first time to make a good impression."

Shaya frowned as she pulled on the yellow skirt and the white blouse. _God damned skirts. I hate skirts!_

Before Inuyasha knew it, they were both dressed in skirts and were walking out of their dorm room. After a quick bite to eat at their dormitory cafeteria, they were soon traveling the subways of the Tokyo Metro. As they exited the station, Inuyasha noticed that the neighborhood seemed very familiar: the long concrete sidewalks, the trees every few meters that cast a dappled green shade upon them and an odd shrine that stood atop of a hill.

Inuyasha stared up the steep stone steps with a red Torii gate at the entrance. _I've been here before. When?_"Kagome, where are we going?" Shaya asked with apprehension.

The miko turned around and beamed a smile at him. "My home, the Sunset Shrine. It's been in my family for generations. I come home every weekend to help run the shrine," she paused for a second as if carefully considering her words. "Grandfather has always been telling me that we need more help. Someone strong who could help him lift some of the heavier boxes and antiques. He was looking for a man…" Kagome paused again to look at Shaya with a quirky smile. "But, I think you're stronger than any man. I know that you could do the job."

Shaya looked at Kagome quizzically. "A hanyou working at a shrine? Are you sure, Kagome?" he asked with trepidation.

The miko only smiled again and linked Shaya's arm with her own. "Positive. Now Grandfather might be a little…hesitant at first. Just let me do the talking, OK?"

Shaya's right ear twitched at the words, but otherwise she wore a straight face and managed to keep a frown from appearing. They walked up the steep steps and walked under the Torii gates. The hanyou quirked an eyebrow at the komainu, shrine dog statues, that were at either side of the entrance. _Maybe that's a good sign…?_

Kagome walked forward to the fountain that had a metallic green dragon at the top with water pouring from its mouth. She bent to pick up a bamboo cup and scooped some water up to pour over her hands. Then she took a drink from the water.

She smiled gently at Shaya. "You've done this before. You know it won't harm you."

Shaya uncrossed her arms and managed to murmur out, "I know that…" Afterward, she followed in Kagome's footsteps and performed the same ritual of purification that was to be done before entering a sacred shrine.

Once they crossed over the threshold to the shrine, they entered an area of concrete pathways surrounded by gravel and dappled shade. In the center of the shrine was a huge tree that was nearly three stories tall; it's branches as wide as it was tall. It was wrapped with mystical ropes and stood aloof from the rest of the shrine.

Kagome called out to an elderly man with graying hair who was wearing the robes of a Shinto priest. "Ohayou!" The young miko waved, and the older man stopped sweeping the concrete pathways to wave back to his granddaughter.

The young miko ran to her grandfather and gave him a hug before gesturing to her friend that was standing warily by her side. Shaya shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as the older man looked at her.

"Grandfather, this is Shaya. She's my roommate at the boarding school."

The older man simply bowed stiffly, yet respectfully to the hanyou girl in front of him. Shaya followed suit.

"You know, grandfather," said Kagome as she laced her arm with his and started to walk him away from Shaya. "You said that you needed someone strong to help you with the shrine."

The older man nodded as his young granddaughter led him to the Goshinboku tree in the middle of the shrine grounds. "I'm not strong enough to carry the heavier relics and boxes, and it will be a long time before Souta is strong enough. So I was wondering…" Kagome paused as she stood in front of the God tree. "I was wondering if you would consider hiring Shaya. She's a hanyou, so she's really strong. I bet that she could lift over 500 kg, maybe even a 1,000!"

"A hanyou you say?" asked her grandfather as he looked down at Kagome with a frown on his face. "Working at our shrine?"

"Grandfather," Kagome said pleadingly. "Remember this tree? Remember the legend? This shrine has long been tied with mikos and half-demons. Remember the legendary half dog demon who was pinned by a miko to this very tree?"

"Yes, because he stole the legendary shikon jewel," responded the elderly priest circumspectly.

"Grandpa. You know very well he was betrayed by another jealous demon. You know that he was good and loved the miko who sealed him. And you know that his spirit and the miko who pinned him to this very tree still watches over this shrine. Certainly the spirit of the dog demon would be pleased to see a descendant of his working here."

The older man sighed wearily as his watery, dull eyes looked down at his bright-faced granddaughter. "There will be no dissuading you, I suppose?"

"No, honored grandfather," the young miko replied. The edges of her smile quirked up in apparent victory.

The gray haired man waved at the hanyou girl who was still standing at the fountain. Her back was to them, her arms crossed and her ears twitched and turned in their direction as if she had been listening to their exchange. "Take her to your room and find some miko robes for her to wear. Train her first on how to run the shrine shop and then after closing I'll need her to help me move some boxes."

Kagome squealed, then burst out laughing as she hugged her grandfather and spun him around. "Thank you so much, grandfather!" She ran to Shaya with the giddiness of a schoolgirl. The miko grabbed the hanyou by the hand and pulled her toward the home at the back of the shrine.

Shaya tagged behind Kagome, who seemed immensely happy and satisfied. They slid the front door open and took off their shoes, which they left at the genkan. Kagome handed Shaya a pair of slippers to use as they walked into her house.

The hanyou looked around in wonderment. He knew that he had been here before. It must have been one of those family meetings where everyone from the Takahashi family met Rin's family. _They had sat in this very room._ He looked around the family room. There were several cushions on the floor for sitting, a low coffee table and a large TV in the middle. The TV was hooked up to some sort of video game system that Kagome's younger brother seemed to be playing.

The first time he was here was probably when he had first laid eyes on Kagome. It had been her scent that had called to him that day. Sure she was beautiful, certainly prettier than Rin in Inuyasha's eyes. But she had the most luscious scent that just made him want to follow her around like a wayward puppy. And that was when it started—when he found that he couldn't even speak in Kagome's presence. It was when he had batted away any attempt on her part to be friendly just because he didn't want to stutter around her. He wanted to be around her badly, but not if he was embarrassed and not if he was going to act like an idiot. _Thank the gods I no longer stutter!_ He shivered to himself.

"Hey, Souta," Kagome called out good-naturedly as she walked past the young boy. Souta was mesmerized by the video game in front of him and couldn't peel his eyes away from the screen. "Hi ya, sis," he responded as his fingers and thumbs pressed various buttons on the white controller in front of him. There was a furious battle taking place on the television screen.

Shaya stopped to ascertain which system and game he was playing. It looked like a Wii system and he thought he recognized the game. "Hey, is that the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess?" Shaya sputtered out. "Hey, have you beaten the Temple Boss, Ganondorf?"

Souta turned around. Someone was speaking his language—the language of video games. Once Inuyasha saw the boy's face he could tell that Souta was around ten years old.

Kagome giggled to herself when she noticed the look of wonder that spread across her younger brother's face the first time he looked at Shaya. The little boy's face bore the look of surprise and utter bewilderment. He stared at Shaya with his mouth hanging open and he waited far too long. His character, Link, was hit with an energy attack from a huge fossilized skull. His character twittered and sputtered as Link fell to the ground in defeat.

Souta never took his eyes off of Shaya, even though his character had just died. "Uhh," responded the unfortunate youth.

"Souta, this is Shaya," said Kagome while she motioned to her friend. Souta was still looking at the lovely hanyou girl in gape-faced wonder.

"Uh, huh," the youth responded with glazed brown eyes.

The half demon goddess was oblivious to the young boy's attentions. Her eyes were glued to the screen. "So you're only at the Arbiter's Grounds? Maybe I can help you get through this after I'm done working here?"

Souta could only nod dully.

Shaya beamed a beautiful smile his way, her lovely golden eyes glowing with passion. There were only a few things that Inuyasha enjoyed above all else: Kagome, ramen, kicking someone's ass and his favorite past time—video games. "OK, kid," answered Shaya as she scuffed up the youth's hair and then followed Kagome upstairs.

"Sha-yah," murmured Souta in steadfast appreciation as his eyes gazed at the hanyou girl with long, silvery hair. She was wearing a short yellow skirt that showed all of her lovely curves and was walking up the staircase. His eyes were still glued to the flight of steps even after the hanyou girl had been long gone.

* * *

Shaya wiped her brow. It had been a long trying day, but at least it wasn't as hard as it had been when she was working at the 'Seventh Heaven.' At the shrine, she was wearing long, red hakama pants that affectively hid her 'feminine' curves and a white billowy kimono top. This was a vast improvement over the short red kimono that exposed almost every inch of her skin.

Just like the 'Seventh Heaven,' there were a few customers that had been checking him out as he ran the shrine shop. However, unlike the gropers at the club, these patrons were courteous and polite. He quickly found that if he didn't act too gruff the male patrons would buy twice as many goods. The unfortunate side effect was that they lingered longer and tried to get his phone number. He quickly decided that increasing the shrine sales wasn't worth the added hassle and continued on the day giving male customers a stony stare.

Shaya lifted yet another heavy box from the storage shed. Kagome's grandfather was having him pick up and move every box out of the shed and onto the shrine grounds before re-stacking everything. The work wasn't very hard for him. The boxes were easy to lift, and he could tell that the old man had grudgingly given him his tacit approval today. He had gained it when he lifted a large, stone statue effortlessly that would have normally taken four grown men to carry. He smirked to himself when he remembered seeing the old man's befuddled countenance that was quickly followed with a look of satisfaction. _Even the old man likes me…_

He glanced over at Kagome who was also wearing the red and white miko garb of a priestess. He found that he liked the way the clothes fit her and the way her beautiful ebony tresses were tied up in a silk ponytail holder low on her back. Inuyasha decided that he liked her best when she didn't know that he was watching her. He gazed at her for a little longer. She stood alone, demure, sweet and beautiful—smiling to herself with an internal happiness.

Kagome was busy gathering fortunes and wooden prayer plaque cards. She was untying the objects from the trees and fences on the shrine grounds and placing them into her woven reed basket. When the basket was full, she took the prayers and fortunes to a small pit next to the shed. It was where she would say a final prayer to the gods and then burned the offerings. Once each votive was burnt, it was transported to the gods for their decision and every bad fortune was mystically erased.

He watched closely as she murmured a prayer, clapped her hands twice, bowed, and then struck a match. The contents quickly flared with flame, and a single white cloud of smoke rose aimlessly above the pit. Kagome knelt next to the rapidly burning fire and the halo of smoke.

Somehow as the smoke curled its way up to the heavens, she sensed someone looking at her. Kagome gazed up at hanyou through the cloudy smokiness. Inuyasha smiled at her before walking back inside to get another box.

In his embarrassment at being caught staring, he had been too quick to turn his head away from the miko and never noticed Kagome's confused expression. She was about as slack-jawed as Souta had been when he had first seen Shaya.

All Kagome could do was stare in absolute confusion. Walking past her was the very hanyou male she had a crush on—the guy who was supposed to be in China on some sort of business trip with his father. There was no mistaking his masculine jaw, his broad shoulders, his lean manly physique or those adorable puppy-dog ears. However, he was wearing women's clothes—the garbs of a miko! Her vision was getting stranger and stranger.

Kagome couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was dreaming. She often daydreamed of the gorgeous dog-eared demon that she was spying on at the moment.

Her eyes widened in apparent bewilderment. She found her pulse beating rapidly, and her breathing quickened.

She stood up and ran over to where Shaya (or was it Inuyasha?) last stood. With panic running through her veins, she stumbled right into the hanyou, who was lifting a large wooden box. Kagome slammed right into the crate and stumbled backwards to fall on her bottom. "Ouch!" she complained as she looked up at the hanyou before her with disbelieving eyes.

"Oi, Kagome," the hanyou called out.

The miko shook her head in confusion. Shaya even sounded like Inuyasha. "Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned under her breath as she gazed at clawed hands and the front of a wooden crate.

Shaya startled and put the large box down. She then squatted to stare at Kagome directly in the eyes. Curious amber eyes gazed at confused chocolate orbs. "What did you call me, Kagome?"

Kagome's lips parted in evident uncertainty as she looked at the hanyou in front of her. _I just saw Inuyasha. He was wearing miko's robes. What is happening to me?_"I…I thought I saw your brother. I must be…" Kagome hesitated as she looked up at the silver-haired half demon in front of her. The confused miko had the look of a person who had just woken from a dream.

Shaya stood up and reached her arm out to Kagome to help pull her up. A secretive smile erupted all over her face. "Ah, well you never know. Maybe he'll show up again," the pretty hanyou girl responded. "Now I have to finish moving these boxes. I'll see you inside soon."

Kagome brushed off her hakama pants after standing up. "Yes, uh…"

"Kagome!" a middle-aged woman exclaimed. Inuyasha turned to see the woman he knew as Kagome's mother. He noticed that Mrs. Higurashi had rosy cheeks and bore a smile of satisfaction. The older woman met her daughter with a warm hug. "How are you doing, Kagome? How is school?"

Shaya quickly turned to Kagome's mother and her lilac scent. It was pretty, but not nearly as wonderful or intoxicating as Kagome's. He sniffed again, there was something curious layered on top of her fragrance. _Something odd…_The wind swept the scent away from Shaya, effectively hiding the curious smell he was trying to ascertain.

"Fine, Mom," responded Kagome as she pulled an errant wisp of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Oh, I forgot to mention that I have a new roommate, Shaya. She is also the newest employee here at the shrine." Kagome motioned to Shaya who bowed low to Kagome's mother.

The older woman with short black hair and a winsome smile returned to bow. "I'm pleased to meet you Shaya." The middle-aged woman paused as if in thought. "Are you related to…?" she left the sentence dangling.

Shaya responded immediately with a smirk. "I am a Takahashi as well."

Kagome gushed breathlessly, "She's the sister of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru." Was it just Shaya's imagination or did Kagome's eyes look akin to hero worship when she mentioned his name?

The older woman quirked an eyebrow in astonishment. "I was sure that I had met the entire Takahashi family." She looked over Shaya as if appraising her. "But no one can doubt the resemblance. You are a Takahashi." She beamed a smile at the hanyou girl. "I would love for you to stay for dinner and hear how your mother is doing! I haven't talked to her in so long."

Inuyasha only nodded in agreement. The older woman turned to leave when the wind reversed direction. The scent of Kagome's mother wafted his way. He was doubly surprised by what he smelled. There was a lingering scent all over the woman, and he was having trouble remembering what it was. There was a man's cologne that clung to her as well as the man's musk and the scent of smoke. It only took him a few seconds to identify the source.

_The middle-aged man on the subway! The guy in the black trenchcoat who gave me a subway pass! Now why would Kagome's mother be meeting up with him? Was my meeting with him a coincidence? I know that he seemed familiar somehow… Who is he?_

Inuyasha looked at the older woman's retreating form warily. There was a mystery right under his nose, and he intended to find out the answers.

**_

* * *

_**

Next Chapter:

_A double-date, but who is going?!_

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: Karaumea just finished traveling across continents and now she has to move twice! However, Heartless fans take note! Despite all of the things she has been through, the next chapter of Heartless is over 18 pages so far. She has 14 sections in that chapter and has finished 4 of them. She says it will be even longer than 'When She Comes Back'—so it will be a very beefy chapter! Yeah!_

_#2: Takeshi. Ta-Keh-she._

_#3: A Billion Yen. About one million USD._

_#4: The 'Seventh Heaven' is a real strip club in downtown Tokyo on Roppongi Dori. (Ai Kisugi used it before in one of her other stories.)_

_#5: The birth control pill is not commonly used in Japan. It is available now (after taking more than 20 years to get approved), however condoms and abortions are the usual birth control methods in Japan. 'Seasonale' was described in this chapter and is one of many different types of birth control pills that limits the number of menstrual cycles per year to 4 instead of 12. As usual, Ai Kisugi couldn't help but to mention a birth control method that was appropriate for the situation regardless of how things are really like in Japan._

_#6: Yes, we threw Usagi from 'Sailor Moon' in the story. We were looking for a good-looking airhead and *ahem*… well there you have it._

_#7: 'Ohayou' is 'Good Morning' in Japanese._

_#8: A 'genkan' is the entrance to any Japanese home where you take off your outdoor shoes and then put on your indoor shoes or slippers._

_#9: When I (Ai Kisugi) visited the Yahiko Shinto Shrine grounds I noticed a shrine maiden picking up paper fortunes and wooden prayers and placing them in a basket. My Japanese friend told me that they would be burnt afterwards in a ceremony and sent to the gods. I didn't see the ceremony where they were burned, so I made up one for this chapter._


	8. A Double Date

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

_~~~oo0oo~~~  
'He's My Girl' has won 1st Place at the Inuyasha Fan Guild for Best Comedy 2nd Quarter 2009. A big thank you to everyone who voted and an even bigger thanks to Hedanicree and Kinky-Hoe (for their nominations)!  
Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Blackdeathmessenger, Theleb K'aarna and SplendentGoddess!  
This chapter was co-written by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea.  
~~~oo0oo~~~_

_  
**Songs used in this chapter:**_

_500 Miles by the Proclaimers, _http : // www . youtube . com / watch?v=tM0sTNtWDiI

Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls, http : // www . youtube . com / watch?v=bswpx5BTeHk

Hips Don't Lie by Shakira, http : // www . youtube . com / watch?v=ygctbqBijFk

_~~~oo0oo~~~_  
_Since we have been asked multiple times… This is an Inuyasha/Kagome, Kouga/Ayame, Sesshoumaru/Rin and Miroku/Sango story. And Inuyasha and Koga are still guys! The concealment charm is a very powerful illusion (like a hologram). Everyone sees two girls, but when the boys touch themselves (or if anyone else touches them) they feel their male 'parts.'  
~~~oo0oo~~~_

_**Warnings:** Lemon between two married adults and some swearing._

**Chapter 8: A Double Date**

Kouga moaned as he twisted under his blankets. He felt something silky on his skin and briefly wondered if he had gone to bed wearing a robe.

"I feel so fucking tired," was all he could think in his muddled brain before wakefulness crept over his senses.

He squeezed his pillow and then groggily sat up. He looked down and saw a bright blue, silky kimono hanging off of his shoulders. The expanse of fabric had barely covered his torso last night, but now it hung open. He looked down in distress when he saw two perfectly formed round breasts with rose-brown nipples peaking out from his top. Normally he would have found his lovely feminine form to be amusing or perhaps even erotic. But now seeing his form bared in such a way just made his stomach feel queasy.

He dared to look at his closet door and the mirror that adorned it. There he saw a beautiful, disheveled demon girl. Her long black hair was in disarray and was strewn messily about her shoulders. The lipstick she had worn was smudged across her cheek and her mascara was a black smear above each eye. Adding to it was a blotchy blue eyeshadow that made it look like she had two black eyes.

Kouga frowned as he looked at himself in the mirror. The girl that was staring back at him looked miserable and defeated. If he didn't know better he would have thought he was looking at a girl who had been fucked over by a guy.

A shocked and startling revelation crept over his consciousness. _I was fucked over by guys last night!_ The reflection he was gazing at gaped back at him with wide eyes that apparently couldn't believe what had just been revealed. He shook his head as he thought about last night at the Seventh Heaven club.

Kouga had wanted to get a job there so badly. It had seemed like a dream to be around half-naked women all day long. He had seen women stripping down to nothing and chicks that were giving lap dances. But when he looked back now, he realized that he had been sexually harassed too many times to count by the club's customers. _Horny little fuckers!_

The wolf demon had endured some of the mistreatment because he had been lost in his own little fantasy of having nude chicks around him, but that fantasy quickly ended when he had been forced to sit on some asshole's lap. That had been the last straw. He could still feel the bulge in the guy's pants pushing against his bottom and he shuddered in disgusted horror. That was what it felt like — to be treated like a sex toy without any mind or rights.

He didn't think he would have appreciated any of those chauvinistic gestures even if he were a woman. _But, I'm a man, dammit! I'm not supposed to be groped by male hands! It's disgusting! It's demeaning!_

His blue orbs landed on Kori's heated ones in the mirror before trailing down to her disheveled clothing and he once again noted the irritating abundance of flesh that the garment showed. Perhaps for the first time in his life, Ookami, Kouga felt a strange heat inside him that manifested itself on his cheeks as he gazed upon his vulnerable image. He swallowed nervously as he looked at the girls' worried face in front of him.

What was this alien feeling that was overcoming him? Was it _shame_? He shook his head to shoo away the unwelcome sensation. _I didn't do anything wrong! _He was just an honest girl trying to make some money for his date. If anything, those bastards should be ashamed of themselves, forcing their hands on innocent, unsuspecting women like that!

He didn't know whether to cry or scream. _But I'm a man! I'm a wolf demon! I'm not going to cry, dammit!_ A low but savage growl built up in his chest. Some of the growl was released as his jaw twitched in anger and indignity. Just then his dorm room door opened as Ayame walked into their room wearing a clingy silk robe. The rest of his savage, hurt growl erupted and Ayame stopped dead in her tracks. Her curious eyes landed on her roommate.

"Guys are so fucking thoughtless, you know! Using me like some piece of damned flesh! What about my feelings?" Kori cried out. She clenched her jaw in order to keep herself from breaking down and crying. There was no way he'd ever break down in front of a girl.

Ayame paused and looked over her roommate critically for the first time, noticing that she looked like a man had ravaged her. Her makeup was smeared and her once lovely hair was a tousled mess. Even her breasts were hanging out of her skimpy kimono; it looked like she had been fondled and abandoned.

"Gods, Kori," sputtered Ayame as she rushed up to sit next to her roommate, her face weighed with concern. She cupped Kori's face in her hands. "Are you all right? What happened?"

Kori pulled away and then tugged at her top, trying in vain to cover up her exposed breasts. "I worked at the Seventh Heaven club last night," grumbled the wolf demon as she avoided Ayame's eyes and instead looked down at the floor.

"The Seventh Heaven!? The strip club," yelled out Ayame aghast. "Good girls don't work there, Kori. Oh my God, did they force you, did they…?" She left the words dangling in the air.

Kouga snorted. "They tried, but I finally had enough and decked one of those fuckers. I lost my job, but…" Kori shrugged and tried to pass the matter off as if she didn't care. But her bright red cheeks and hunched shoulders told another story.

"Oh Kami, girl. I'm so sorry," whispered Ayame as she pulled her roommate into a tight hug.

For a brief moment Kouga didn't know what to do. He had held plenty of girls before; he had even held them while pretending to comfort them. However, he had never had a girl comfort him, unless he was faking an emotion and trying to get into their pants. This was all completely and utterly new to him.

His hands gingerly crept around Ayame's winsome frame and silky green robe to finally pull her closer to him. Kouga found that he liked having her soft form pressed against this own. It had been so long since he had touched something so magically tender. He found his nose in her long flowing red tresses and sniffed. She smelled of cinnamon. When he had first met her, he didn't like the fragrance, but now felt that it was growing on him. It might smell good to have that scent coupled with his own raw, masculine wolf scent. Little Kouga suddenly leapt to attention and saluted. _Aw, fuck! Gotta get these ideas out of my head or she'll notice._

Kori pulled away from Ayame and yet again he avoided her eyes, but this time it was because he didn't want her to see the lust swimming within them.

Ayame looked at Kori with sadness and sympathy. Then she patted Kori's knees in a show of camaraderie. "You lost your job, Kori?"

Kori nodded silently and still kept her eyes hidden as she glanced downward.

"My family owns a club in the Roppongi Hills district. We're short of help there right now, since my brothers are out of town. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind another wolf demon working there. You can be part of our pack," she added with a glowing smile.

Kouga looked up at Ayame with alarm. "Another club," she muttered with horror. She shook her head. "No, no, no. I'm not going to be man handled or groped again!"

The red headed demoness widened her eyes in surprise and then started laughing. "Oh, it's not a club like the Seventh Heaven. It's a respectable establishment. We only have dancing and karaoke there, certainly no strippers or girls giving lap dances. It's not always perfect, but situations like that are a rarity. And if it does happen, I'll help you."

"Help me?" asked Kouga in complete puzzlement. _How can a girl help me?_

Ayame made a show of pulling up the sleeves of her robes and then flexing her smaller, feminine muscles. "Yeah, I'll kick their asses if they try anything on you."

Kouga just blinked. _A girl has just offered to help beat up a guy for me?_

Then he looked at Ayame's face again. She was glowing with warmth and a brilliant smile adorned her features. Suddenly she was looking so much more beautiful than he had ever seen before. She usually looked sullen and ill-tempered.

_What brought about the change? Or I am changing?_ Kori cocked her head to the side as in puzzlement. Then she grinned her wolfish smile at her roommate. "Sure, it can't hurt to try," Kori said after a moment.

Ayame put up her hand and high-fived her roommate. Suddenly the two girls were grinning and Ayame was giggling. After a very hard night, Kouga finally felt content.

* * *

The ill-fated weekend had finally passed for Kouga. Soon it was Monday, and he found himself relaxing after a hard day at school. Oftentimes he would complain of 'cramps' and the teacher would swiftly excuse him from any further workouts. _Just what I wanted!_ He kicked up his feet on the metal bleachers and gazed down at the lovely views that presented themselves before him. _I love watching chicks workout in tight clothes!_

His happy, cerulean blue eyes gazed upon the 'all-female' volleyball game. Nothing was better than watching girls run, jump and spike the ball wearing little more than bikini bottoms and long sleeved tops. _Life is so fucking good!_ He grinned as he watched Ayame jump as she served the ball, her tone body glistening with effort. Kagura quickly returned the volleyball. The round projectile was swift and barely glanced over the net in the center of the court before it headed straight for Shaya's head.

Kouga held his face in his hand as he noticed that Inuyasha was staring at Kagome's backside rather than paying attention to where the ball was about to land. _What an idiot._ Smack! The silver-haired hanyou received a volleyball right in her face.

"Shaya!" yelled Kagome who ran to aid her roommate. Before Inuyasha could even tell Kagome that nothing could ever hurt a hanyou, he was quickly brought over to the benches and was sat next to Kouga. "Kori, could you please watch after Shaya while we finish playing our game? She was hit really hard by the ball," asked Kagome breathlessly.

Inuyasha tried to grumble something about annoying wenches and how he couldn't possibly be hurt. However, he was quickly quieted by Kagome's hug before the girl made her way back over to the volleyball court.

Shaya crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to look tough, her golden orbs following every sway of the miko's hips as she walked away. Then a pleased countenance settled over Inuyasha's features, something that was rarely seen in the surly half-demon.

Kouga twiddled his thumbs in puzzlement as he contemplated his buddy. Something was up with Inuyasha and he was going to figure it out. _Whatever it is…_ He figured that the half-demon should start by telling him where he had been spending all of his free-time lately. "So, mutt-face, where have you been all weekend? I haven't seen you even once."

The half-smile that had graced the hanyou's lips curled down into a thin line. He huffed, "I was working, wolf-shit. That's where I was."

The wolf demon smirked. "Working where, Shaya?"

His buddy turned to glare at him, one black eyebrow raised. "I have a new job, a respectable one." The hanyou was looking very pleased with himself or perhaps he was simply satisfied with looking at the plethora of beautiful, feminine bodies before him.

"Oh?" Kori queried with a joking tone in her voice. "What does respectable mean, Sha-yah? That you don't have to wear tight fitting dresses and high heeled stilettos?"

The look of utter contentment that had briefly passed his friend's face twisted into a scowl. "No, wolf-shit." Shaya frowned and then gazed at Kori with a jaunty smirk. "I got to work up close and personal all last weekend with Kagome." Snickering, the hanyou waited for the wolf to absorb the latest piece of information.

Kouga was about to interrogate the hanyou further when a chill ran up his spine. Cool hands ghosted over his backside and attempted to squeeze his hindquarters. _This time I know how to handle it!_

With the blazing speed that only a wolf-demon could possess, Kori stood up and then turned to stomp down hard on the lecher's foot.

Miroku looked up at the girl painfully as he whimpered and tried to soothe his abused appendage. He was jumping up and down on one foot as he looked at the girl with wide eyes.

Kori smiled wickedly at the teenaged monk to offer her apologies. "Oh, so sorry, dear. Did I step on your foot?" she asked with sarcasm lacing her words.

"No problem," Miroku managed to choke out, still cringing in pain. He grimaced as he moved away from the comely demoness and then went to sit down as far away from Kori as he possibly could.

A startled hanyou looked back and forth between the smirking wolf demon and the sniveling monk. "What the fuck?! 'Sorry? Dear?' What's with the sugar coating? And, what's wrong with your right hook?" asked an astonished Inuyasha. "Why didn't you just pummel the guy?"

Kouga turned away from the monk he was steadily learning to hate and then smirked at Inuyasha. "It's a new trick I learned from Ayame. You just step on their feet hard enough that it gives them enough pain to stay a safe distance away from you and your clumsy legs the next time. And the best part is that they cannot blame you, since you did not openly attack them. It works better when you wear heels, though."

Shaya opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she was too shocked to form the words. "But…Ayame? I thought you found her annoying. Since when do you plot with her against unsuspecting lechers?"

The wolf demon looked smugly at his friend. "Since last Saturday. Oh, haven't I told you? I'm waitressing with the red-head at her family's place."

Inuyasha's eyes widened further. At the horrified look the hanyou gave him, Kouga added, "Relax, man. It's a respectable place. And, she's not annoying, by the way."

The amber-eyed girl pulled back and looked at Kori quizzically. "She's not? What made you change your mind?"

Kori only sighed and looked up at the sky before she mumbled, "The night at Seventh Heaven."

Inuyasha cringed as Kouga's face darkened with the memory. "Can we please forget that it ever happened?" asked the traumatized half-demon.

"Gladly," answered Kori as she shook her head, as if the motion would suddenly remove the unwelcome memories. She continued, "Well, you should see her at work. She has these amazing ways to protect herself from unwanted attention. Honestly, the place is not too bad and it's not often that someone tries to grope you. There was this one time I had trouble getting some bastard off my tail. I was about to bump the asshole straight to hell, but she beat me to it. You should have seen it, buddy; it was unforgettable. She's really cool." Kouga grinned and the full smile lit up his entire face. Then he turned to look at the aforementioned redhead who had just spiked the volleyball over the net. Kouga's face immediately softened with a look Inuyasha had never seen on his friend before.

"Is she now?" asked Inuyasha, noticing for the first time that the wolf demon's eyes had been following the red-headed demoness the whole time. He smirked inwardly. _Who knows? Perhaps, this girl can change Kouga for the better._

"And the best part is that I made half of the money I need for my date with my little lipstick lesbian," added Kouga excitedly.

_Or not._ Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his incorrigible friend before giving his whole attention to the poetic view of his sweating and panting miko on the volleyball court. His eyes even smiled as he relaxed in his seat. _Damn, life is good._

* * *

Izayoi made her way to their large futon that was on a raised, mahogany platform. Their bed was covered in a royal blue duvet and their nook was partially concealed by sweeping swaths of blue and white cloth.

Her husband was busily reading over the day's reports from the Takahashi conglomeration. He was so engrossed in reading that he never noticed that his wife was wearing a lacey black negligee that covered little and exposed much.

"Taisho," she said playfully as her fingers splayed across his silver-haired chest.

"Hummmm, what is it dear?" the ancient warrior-turned business tycoon murmured as he continued reading his reports as if they were an absorbing novel.

Wearing a playful smile, Izayoi moved closer to Taisho and sat on his lap. The motion startled him enough that he looked up from his computer printouts and for the first time noticed the beautiful woman with long, ribbon-like black hair before him who was barely covered in naughty, black lace. He gazed up and down at the figure that was straddling him.

The negligee was cut low, but even if it were not, he could plainly see her light brown nipples that were tantalizingly beckoning him from behind their flimsy coverings. He looked down the delicate gossamer fabric to see her porcelain skin and a darkened nest of curls at the junction of her creamy thighs.

"Iza-yoi," Taisho drawled out as he threw the reports aside and grabbed her by the waist. His wife's arms moved behind his neck to draw him closer to him.

"Kiss me like you mean it," she demanded.

He complied.

Taisho had no idea what had brought on her sexual needs for the night, but he wasn't about to complain.

Her hands moved methodically down the treasure trail of silver hair to his boxer shorts. He moaned into their kiss as she pulled the satin boxers down and off of his legs. Then she positioned her body in between his legs, and her mouth swallowed his engorged length. She pistoned his length up and down, bringing out an excited gasp from the thousand-year-old demon. She suckled him mercilessly until he pleaded with her to stop.

"Stop, I need to…," the great Inutaisho sputtered like a schoolboy.

"You need to what, darling?" asked Izayoi with silky words as she turned around and presented her backside to her husband. Her lovely bottom was pushed backward and she was squatting on all fours in front of him.

"You know what this does to me," he answered, moving his large clawed hands to the lacey black garment that was covering what he wanted. With a flick of his wrist, there was nothing left between his eager fingers and his destination. He used his knuckles to knead at her entrance and found her dewy cleft swollen and moist. He breathed in deeply as he massaged her pleasure spot. She smelled like the sea, like the salty air after a gale had hit the coast.

He always liked her bent over in front of him. She knew it was his favorite position, he could smell her scent right under his nose, he could see himself thrusting inside of her and what he loved most of all was that it showed that she submitted her body to his will.

"Damn, Izayoi," he muttered, his eyes rolling back once he was lost in her fragrance. The golden orbs soon mixed with feral red as his nostrils filled with her arousal. "I want you," he bellowed as he rammed himself into her and started to ride her hard and fast.

He bent down low, his chest covering her back. One hand propped him up while the other rubbed her wet entrance and her puffy clit.

"Come for me, baby," he murmured with love and satisfaction. After all of the years they had spent together making love he knew exactly how to play her body—every single inch. He knew what touches caused her to orgasm and what caused her to melt into passionate lust.

It wasn't long before she exploded around him, enveloping him in a gush of wet warmth and spasming pleasure. He let the feeling crest around him as her pulsating heat drew him in even deeper and caused him to let loose. "Izayoi!" he screamed roughly as his body flailed behind hers, diving in again and again.

His body did not even seem like it was his own as he momentarily left the earthly realm and rode the waves of pleasure that enveloped him. It was a natural high that only his wife's passion could give him. Eventually, he returned to his physical form and hugged his wife from behind. "I love you so much, Izayoi."

His wife twisted, and he slipped out as she reached back to kiss him as well. Their bodies shifted, and he collapsed on the large futon with his wife safely nestled on top of him. She rested her head on his chest, her fingers once again playing with the silvery hair.

Taisho just rested in absolute, satiated pleasure and closed his eyes. He kissed the top of his wife's head, and his fingers toyed with her long, ebony strands. They laid there in silence for a minute or two before Izayoi spoke.

"Higurashi, Kunloon called me today. Do you remember her? Rin's Mom," she murmured as her hands stroked the skin of his chest.

Taisho wasn't really listening. He was still too enamored with what they had just done and he was still riding his high. "Uh, huh," he replied. Such an answer was always a safe one in marriage. It never really committed you to one thing or another and let the other person think that you were actually listening, at least that had been Taisho's experience.

Izayoi's voice was low and steady as she continued. "She saw Shaya today. She saw my daughter. She said that she was beautiful," Izayoi's violet-gray eyes looked up at Taisho expectantly.

He only smiled down wistfully at his wife. "Uh, huh," he murmured.

"I know that you have forbidden me from seeing Inuyasha. You think that I'll spoil him and ruin the careful lesson Sesshoumaru has concocted for him. But, I want to see Shaya; I want to see my daughter."

Taisho gazed down at Izayoi in absolute contentment. "Um, hummm," he added as he stroked the top of her hair.

"I'm going to see Shaya in a few days and take her shopping," added Izayoi as she looked up at Taisho with increasing perplexity.

He just smiled at her and stroked her lovely backside. He squeezed her silky, smooth bottom. "Um, hummm," he responded.

"I plan on spending a whole gob of money and maxing out all of the credit cards while I take my daughter shopping," she added with a note of spite in her voice.

The great dog demon turned his head and looked at Izayoi in confusion. Her tone of voice had just changed and he had only been murmuring small words of agreement for the past few minutes. He actually had no idea as to what he had exactly agreed to, but he felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck and he knew something was wrong. When he saw his wife glare at him evilly he knew that he had just screwed up somehow. _But what did I do? _He was utterly bewildered.

"So you have no problems with this?" demanded Izayoi as she gazed with determination into her mate's eyes.

"Uh, no problems, whatsoever," he agreed suddenly in an attempt to ward off the tempest that was brewing in his wife's stormy gray eyes.

"Good," she responded with a smile that was both lovely and wicked at the same time. "I'll let you know how it goes after I see her."

"After you see who, my dear?" asked Taisho though he suspected that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"The person you agreed to let me see," responded Izayoi with a satisfied smile. "I'll let you know how it goes after I see her."

"Well, dear. Be sure to have fun and tell her I said 'Hi.'"

Izayoi only shook her head and then leaned forward to turn off the overhead light. _Men, they never learn._

* * *

Shaya was trying not to frown, but Kagome's insistence was wearing him down. He took his sweats out of his PE locker.

"I really don't think it's such a good idea, Kagome," Shaya murmured as she wrenched off her annoyingly short skirt and blouse. Shaya looked up at Kagome from the corner of her eyes. He wanted to see his roommate undress again, but he didn't want it to be obvious that he was checking her out. His roommate's back was to him as she started to undress, so he let his gaze wander over the eye candy before him. _Oh, long, creamy legs. Yes, take off that bra…_

The miko was concentrating on unfastening her satin, pink bra. For a few blissful moments, her breasts jiggled as she moved before she pulled a sports bra over her head. She didn't notice the heated gaze upon her skin. "Shaya," responded Kagome unapologetically. "You showed up at my last date with Hojo. So why don't you come with me on our next date?"

Shaya frowned in frustration. _I want to be the guy taking you out on a date. I'm not tagging along with…_

Kagome continued oblivious to Inuyasha's thoughts. "Hojo said that Hiten is a really nice guy." Then the girl looked Shaya in the eye mischievously. "I hear he's really cute. He has long hair. I love long hair on a guy, don't you?"

Shaya tried to suppress a growl as he heard the girl he was in love with confessing that some other guy was good looking. He tried not to slam the door shut on his locker. _Fucking Hiten. What's so damned special about him?_

"You'd like him," Kagome admonished.

"Not fucking likely," growled out Shaya as she pulled the bulky sweatshirt and sweatpants over her body. _At least I'm wearing something that covers my fucking curves. _He grimaced to himself when he realized that he had also started to wear a sports bra during his PE classes—without any prompting from Kagome. He was getting too many gazes from Miroku (whenever he would show up) and any other male that happened to be watching the 'all female' sporting events.

After his run-in at the Seventh Heaven club he had become increasingly wary of unwanted male attention. His female form was extremely busty and even a sweatshirt could only hide so much when he was running and jumping across the field. _I hate being a female. God damn you, Sesshoumaru!_

Kagome bit her lip in frustration. "Fine. If you don't want to go, then I'll just go on a date with Hojo—alone."

Shaya turned around sharply to look at Kagome. "No, you're not. You can't trust him. He's a guy. He might…" The hanyou girl paused as she gripped her hands, letting them clench and relax repeatedly as she stared at Kagome.

His miko quirked an eyebrow in response. "He might…?" she queried.

"He might…he might touch you, all right?" answered Shaya in frustration.

Kagome crossed her arms in front of her and glared back at her roommate with a haughty expression. "I'm a big girl. I can handle someone like Hojo."

Shaya moved forward and grabbed one of Kagome's crossed arms. The look on the hanyou's face was a cross between desperation and anxiety. "You can't," she choked. "You can't, not alone…" Suddenly, unwanted images of Hojo being alone with Kagome in the dark surfaced in his mind. All Inuyasha could see was the moronic letch kissing Kagome; moving his hand up her thigh and under her skirt…

Kagome sighed. She looked away momentarily from Shaya and then looked directly into her golden orbs. "Shaya, I know that it's just your 'Inu' instincts that are trying to protect me." She paused as she licked her lips. "But, I'm nearly a grown woman. I will go out on dates. If you want to look after me, I will not let you be the odd third party. So, if you want to be there, you will be there with a date of your own." Kagome swallowed as she uttered her last words a little more harshly than she intended. After all, Shaya was only trying to look out for her, trying to protect her like a little sister. _Right?_

As she gazed up at Shaya, she couldn't help but notice the strange forlorn look that stole across her beautiful features. "Keh," answered Shaya as she turned her face away from Kagome. "Damn. Fine. I'll go on a date with…" Shaya steeled herself and tried to get the word out of her mouth. He was trying hard to say the guy's name, but simply found that he couldn't voice the words that would state that he had agreed to date another guy.

Kagome beamed a heart-warming smile at Shaya. "With Hiten…"

Inuyasha had the strangest feeling while gazing at his roommate's sweet visage. Part of him was utterly disgusted with himself, but the other half would give just about anything to see Kagome smile at him that way again. He really couldn't help but to give her a simple, wane smile in return. Shaya was quickly rewarded by a hug.

Kagome's arms enveloped him as she squeezed him tight and then let go. "Thank you, Shaya. You won't regret it."

Inuyasha tried to ignore the sinking sensation in his gut that told him he was already regretting it, but he chose to ignore it. He could do this. He'd go on a double date with her, if only to keep that creep Hojo from making any more moves on his girl.

Running his clawed fingers through his long silver hair as he glanced at his errant miko. Inuyasha noticed that Kagome was picking up a quiver of arrows and her bow from her locker.

"Today's our defensive training," answered Kagome to his unspoken question. "You'll be training with the demonic group, I suppose."

Shaya only snorted in response. "I never know where that old hag is going to put me."

Kagome playfully hit Shaya on the shoulder. "Be nice, Shaya-chan."

"Keh," murmured Shaya as she watched Kagome walk ahead of him. He noticed the way her hips rose and fell with each step and the way her rounded backside was so noticeable under her tight yoga pants. _Look, but don't touch… Look, but don't touch…_

The two girls waited with a larger crowd of their fellow female classmates as Coach Haori started to instruct the group on today's exercises. They were going to be separated into two groups. The human females who would be studying miko skills, and the demon group would be learning how to hone their natural demonic abilities.

Shaya blithely ignored the instructor and nudged Kagome with his shoulder. There was a question he had wanted to ask Kagome since he smelled a familiar scent on Kagome's Mom last weekend.

"Hey, Kags. I was wondering," began Shaya.

Kagome nodded her head to acknowledge that she was listening, while she still kept her face looking at her coach. Their coach was still muttering on about teamwork and how everyone needed to work together for the common good.

"Your Mom," Shaya paused. _How am I going to say this?_ "Is she seeing anyone? I mean is she dating again?"

Kagome blinked, momentarily startled by the question. She couldn't help but to turn and face Shaya with a look of confusion on her face. She then quickly turned back around to face the front. The last thing she wanted to happen was to be made an example of by their overly enthusiastic coach. "No, Mom's never even seemed interested in dating. I mean, she said Dad was the only one for her, and you know," Kagome paused as she took a deep breath. "When he died…it was as if a part of her had quietly died as well. Rin acted the same. They were both very broken by his death."

Shaya swallowed. He was treading on ground that was likely hurting the very girl he was questioning, but he needed to know. "And you?"

Kagome shivered and drew her arms around her shoulders. The air was warm; there was no reason for her to be cold. "I…I was hurt, but Souta needed someone. Grandpa tried to help, but Souta needed a woman's comfort. Then…," Kagome paused again, taking another deep breath. "Then Rin disappeared. I was so sure that Mom wouldn't be able to handle the stress. First Dad died and then Rin is gone without a trace."

Shaya moved up closer beside Kagome and put a hand on her arm. He took it upon himself to rub her arm up and down in a feeble attempt to warm her spirits.

Kagome looked back at Shaya again. Her eyes were watery, but a curious tenderness surrounded them. "I didn't think that Mom would be able to handle it. Both Dad and Rin gone. But, somehow, she snapped out of it. Maybe she finally realized that we needed her, we needed to be a family. She never mourned my father again after that. She seemed strangely at peace and was always hopeful that we would one day see Rin again." Kagome paused again and whispered while she tried to face the front of the class. "I only hope that it's true. I miss my sister."

"Higurashi!" Coach Haori yelled out loudly to the group that was standing in front of her. "Since you are so set on talking, why don't you explain to everyone how to fire a sacred purification arrow?"

The group of girls around Kagome started to giggle as she blushed. "Yes!" answered Kagome as she straightened her back, pulled her bow stiffly to her side and then walked forward past the gaggle of students. Inuyasha groaned to himself, knowing that it was his questions that had gotten his roommate in trouble.

Coach Haori was old and stout with long graying hair. She stood just a little over one meter and her head barely reached Kagome's shoulders. However, the old crone had a wary look in her eyes that let you know not to trifle with her.

"Stand up straight. Feet apart!" barked out the coach.

Kagome did a very good job of wearing an emotionless mask. Just like she always did when she was about to call upon the Gods for their powers and to imbue her arrow with spiritual energy, she was almost meditating. She was not of the world around her, she was melding with the kami and asking for their strength--their power.

She moved her feet so that they were exactly a shoulder width apart, then she drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it against her bow. She looked straight ahead at the target before her. Four sets of bullseye targets were placed against a concrete bunker in front of her. She noted the wind, how it played with her hair, how strongly it swept past her and in which direction it blew, and she compensated by tilting her arrow slightly to the left. She drew the arrow up to her chin, the fletching barely touching her skin. Then she drew on her deep reservoir of spiritual energy, the energy that only the kami could grant.

The arrow shimmered pink and the crowd and even her coach murmured words of astonishment and approval. She let the arrow fly and the glowing energy surrounding the arrow flared and increased before hitting the target. She didn't hit it square on the bullseye, but she was close. The arrow flickered as some spiritual energy still remained. Kagome flexed her hand and lowered her bow with a small smile drifting across her face.

The miko turned to look back at Shaya, because she knew her roommate would be proud of her. Kagome was expecting the smirk that was now so familiar to her and she had also anticipated the proud gleam in the hanyou's eyes. What she was not expecting to see was Inuyasha in the same exact sweats that Shaya had been wearing, looking at her.

Kagome's lips pursed together and then pulled apart. "What…what?" she murmured as she dropped her stance and walked forward to get a better glimpse of Inuyasha.

For the briefest of seconds he stood there arrogantly with his arms crossed and a pleased smile across his face. Then his arms dropped and he looked at Kagome quizzically. "Kagome?" he questioned.

Kagome cocked her head to the side as if to better gauge the curious sight before her. She stared at him with widened eyes and a questioning look. He was standing tall, with broad shoulders and a very apparent Adam's apple that was bobbing nervously on his throat. There he was again, Inuyasha, the very man she had a crush on for over two years, the very man who was not supposed to be in Japan. The man who certainly would not be caught dead wearing his sister's clothes.

The arrow that had been shot finally flickered and faded like a candle that had been blown out. Inuyasha's form shimmered and blurred until there was only Shaya in front of her. _What is going on? Am I losing my mind?_

Kagome put her hand to her head as if checking for a fever before she stumbled forward. "I'm…I'm feeling ill," was all Kagome managed to mumble before she staggered to the girl's locker room with Shaya quickly trailing behind.

* * *

The week flew on by far too quickly for Inuyasha. He had been dreading Friday, the day he was going to have his 'date' with a guy named Hiten. Inuyasha knew that it was going to be a difficult night. Not only would he need to find a way to keep Hojo from getting his hands on Kagome, but he would also need to fend off Hiten at the same time!

_Feh! It's not as if I didn't get any practice at the Seventh Heaven._ Just the thought of that hellish dive where he had been groped all night made him growl.

"Are you OK, Shaya-chan?" asked his roommate who was taking far too long to get herself ready for their shared, double-date. She had been preening in front of the mirror for the past hour.

"Fine," muttered the hanyou as she shrugged her shoulders and continued gazing at her roommate.

_Why do women need to act like peacocks, put on so much makeup and stare at themselves in the mirror?_ Inuyasha had spent a total of three minutes getting dressed: a pair of jeans, a shirt and sandals. _What is all the fuss about?_

Shaya turned to judge Kagome's appearance. She looked even more beautiful and sexy than she normally did. Her lips were full, glossy and red. Her eyes had a touch of green eye shadow and her lashes were long and dark from the mascara she was using. Her long, wavy hair fell freely about her shoulders and cascaded down her back.

The miko's green mini-skirt was far too tight for tonight and her white spaghetti strap top showed all of her curves. Everything was on display, her full, rounded breasts and even her perky nipples that poked against the fabric of the thin cotton shirt. Inuyasha stopped to admire the beautiful view, but then a troubling thought occurred to him. _Hojo's going to see her looking like this…? No fucking way!_

"It's really too cold outside. You need a jacket," mentioned Shaya as she pulled her red windbreaker from the hook near the door and then proceeded to drape it on Kagome's form.

Kagome looked at her roommate curiously. Shaya nodded to herself. _Much better. Now if I could only cover up her legs._ "Don't you think you should be wearing pants?" she asked Kagome. Before his roommate could even answer, Shaya was already digging through the miko's dresser drawers to find a pair of baggy jeans. When she had found the biggest, baggiest pair that she could find she pulled them out and smiled at Kagome.

Shaya put the unworn jeans up against Kagome's form and noticed how her legs were now nicely covered. Even her ankles would be hidden in the voluminous pants.

Kagome arched an eyebrow that was starting to twitch irritably. She grabbed the jeans from Shaya and proceeded to stuff them back into her dresser. "Shaya, I am not changing!"

_What's her problem? I'm only trying to keep that fucker from touching her. As if she wants Hojo to touch her…_ Inuyasha smoldered in barely concealed anger before he saw Kagome presenting her lovely backside to him again. He watched her lean over her dresser to put the unwanted clothes away, her miniskirt riding up noticeably as she leaned forward, her rounded bottom pushed out. As she shimmied and bent down he could even see a glimpse of pink panty. _Fuck!_

Shaya crossed her arms again and tried not to look at the tempting ass she had so frequently shown to him. "Feh!"

Kagome slammed the drawer shut. "What are you? My mother?" she questioned loudly. Then she stood up straight again and pushed her shoulders back. "A girl needs to look nice for her date," she added as her hand tossed her hair back. Then she shook her head as she gazed at Shaya's appearance.

Her roommate was wearing a pair of baggy jeans, a white wife beater and a pair of flat, white sandals. Shaya's hair was in disarray, silver tresses tossed haphazardly around her curvaceous frame. It was also apparent that the girl wasn't wearing any makeup. But despite her attempts to not show off her better assets, it was also obvious that Shaya was so utterly gorgeous, so maddeningly beautiful, that even baggy jeans and a plain shirt could not hide her beauty. Lovely curves were visible under the short tank top and a swath of tan skin and navel showed over her low slung, rumpled pants. Even her hair, which didn't seem combed, looked wild, untamed and naturally luxurious. One look at her mesmerizing golden eyes could have a man enraptured for hours. The girl couldn't look plain even when she tried.

"Would you like some lipstick or eyeshadow, Shaya?" queried Kagome.

Shaya turned away from her roommate and shrugged. "As if!"

Kagome sighed and then put her arm in Shaya's. "They said to meet them at the Shibuya Station. We're going to meet at the Hachiko statue."

"The statue of the dog that waited faithfully for his owner?"

"The very one," Kagome smiled as they walked out of the dorm room together--two girlfriends, going out on a double-date.

* * *

The two erstwhile couples sat down on flat cushions at the formal restaurant. They were sitting at a low, lacquer-topped table on a tatami mat floor. Kagome sat with her knees tucked underneath her, like a mermaid. The two boys and Shaya sat cross-legged. The silver-haired girl scratched her abdomen while servers in dark, cotton kimonos and long, white tabi socks walked slowly and purposefully around the establishment. Hojo had chosen a formal Japanese restaurant for their dinner and he was the only person at the table who was grinning wildly. He didn't show the slightest concern for Shaya's utter disdain and rude behavior. He didn't even seem to notice Hiten's perplexed looks or Kagome's nervousness. Hojo was taking Kagome out on a date, and to him, life was perfect.

Shaya discounted everything around her and slurped nosily from her bowl of ramen noodles. She used her chopsticks to shove mounds of noodles in her mouth and barely kept herself from belching. The amber-eyed girl grinned secretly to herself. _Keh! I need to make sure that Hiten will never want to date me again!_

Hiten had barely said a word to the lovely hanyou girl that was sitting across from him. When he had agreed to go on a double-date with Hojo, he was expecting Shaya to be, well, a dog. After all, she was a half dog demon. His shock at the curvaceous goddess that sat across from him was evident as he stared blithely at the girl who ignored his every effort to make a conversation. Hiten was used to women throwing themselves at him. After all, he was a full demon and unlike his brother, Manten, he knew that he was an impeccable piece of manhood. Simply put, he knew that he was handsome; he knew that women liked his long black hair, his chiseled body and strikingly blue eyes. _What woman wouldn't want me?_ He frowned. Apparently, Shaya was the only woman who didn't, and that made him long for her even more. _She is so luscious!_

Hiten watched the way her dainty, long fingers held her chopsticks. She moved with grace and elegance as a lucky noodle was slurped into her perfectly formed pink lips. Lips he wanted to touch, kiss and savor. The black haired demon licked his own as he imagined tipping Shaya over in his lap and kissing her. Then his hands would make short work of her tight little wife beater. He could even see her large round breasts and heavy brown areolas through her thin top--it didn't hide anything. The sheer, white cotton fabric hid just enough to make him savor the contents that were obscured. He didn't sigh, he almost moaned. _Gods, I want her!_

Once Shaya had made short work of the noodles, she then tipped the entire bowl into her mouth and loudly gulped down the broth. Kagome looked away askance. Hojo still smiled at Kagome, nothing could truly faze him. Then the silver-haired goddess wiped her face with the back of her hand and afterwards smoothed her digits onto her baggy jeans. After gracing everyone with a self-satisfied smile, she burped loudly.

"Shaya-chan!" Kagome said abruptly. "I think that we need to go to the restroom, don't you think?"

For the first time since the hanyou had entered the restaurant, she smiled and allowed Kagome to drag her along to the woman's restroom. However, before she left she turned around and with a smile was able to stop a server in his tracks. "Waiter, I'd like another one! Oh, and I'd like another tempura assortment while you are at it!" Shaya smiled to herself, she'd order enough food to make Hiten broke. Besides, ever since Sesshoumaru had put him in this 'situation' he had to make due with much less than he was used to. For one night he was going to live it up. If it would also cause Hiten to lose all his money, then it would be all the better! _Keh!_

Inuyasha never bothered to look at his 'date', that asshole demon named, Hiten. Inuyasha had no desire to spend any time with the jerk.

Kagome lead him into the girl's restroom, which he eyed with a frown. It didn't look very different from the men's restroom, other than that the décor had lots of frilly flowers on the wallpaper and bouquets of dried flowers gracing every countertop, and of course, a urinal was missing. _What's so fucking special about this place? Why do girls stay in here forever?_ His momentarily perplexity soon gave away to a way grin. _I've managed to keep Hojo away from Kagome all evening and if I keep this up, Hiten will never bother me again. _

Inuyasha was so pleased with himself that he was momentarily taken aback by Kagome's fierce stare.

"What do you think you are doing?" accused Kagome as her fiery eyes burned into his. The miko moved closer to him, her face inches from his own. He felt the way her breasts were heaving so close to his own chest because of the close proximity. "Are you trying to ruin my date? Can't you show some manners?" asked Kagome with agitated annoyance.

Inuyasha stepped back and found that there was nowhere to go. He felt the cool tiles of the bathroom against his back. "What?" he asked as he looked down at his angry roommate. Her eyes were enflamed, her skin was flushed red and her scent blossomed all around him. He breathed in through his nostrils, which flared at the attempt. _Damn, she looks and smells so good when she's angry._

Kagome ignored the dazed look that was gracing Shaya's features. She was too worked up to slow down. "You are the one who told me to date. Remember? To forget my crush and now you are ruining it! So you better straighten up and behave like a lady!"

Inuyasha gazed down at her full red lips and her flushed skin. He wanted nothing more than to grab his miko and pull her into the most intense kiss she had ever partaken. _As if Hojo could ever be man enough for Kagome._ He snorted. "A lady?" Inuyasha repeated the last words in disbelief.

"Yes! A lady!" she nearly screamed in frustration. Her mouth was getting closer to Inuyasha's and he suddenly found himself licking his lips. For some reason, he momentarily forgot that Kagome only saw him as a woman.

He moved closer to the miko, his lips centimeters away from hers.

"I don't feel like being a lady," he responded with a seductive undertone as his warm breath fanned against hers.

His roommate only 'harrumphed' as she turned around to stomp away, just as his mouth was about to crash against her own.

_What the fuck was I doing?_ Inuyasha quickly recovered himself as he stumbled behind her and then managed to pick himself up before he fell.

Kagome spun around again, so that she was facing him once more. "Yes, you will be a lady! You will not ruin my date. A lady makes polite conversation at the dinner table. She smiles nicely at her date. A lady does NOT wipe her food off on her clothes. And a lady most certainly does NOT burp loudly at the table!"

Inuyasha grinned momentarily as he recalled doing those very things he was being accused of. But then his smile quickly faded as he looked at Kagome's furious countenance.

"OK! OK! Dammit! I'll…I'll fucking act like a…," Inuyasha tried to get the word out. His lips were open, but no sounds emanated from him.

Kagome sighed and then furrowed her brows together in an apparent question. "A lady?" she finished for Shaya.

Inuyasha let out a huge breath of air. "Uh, yes," he managed to reply.

"Good then," added Kagome as she pursed her lips and then started rummaging through her purse.

"What are you doing?" muttered Inuyasha as he saw how determined she was to look over the contents of her bag. _And what is it with girls and their purses?_

"Ah ha!" she exclaimed as she showed him a tube of red lipstick.

Inuyasha only grimaced as he recalled his night at the Seventh Heaven, which was the first and last time he would ever be caught wearing that gunk on his face.

Kagome puckered up to the mirror in front of them and swiped the shimmery red tube across her lips. Then she smacked her lips together before blotting them with a paper towel.

"Oh, that's how you put on lipstick," was all Inuyasha could manage to say.

Kagome smiled then before she advanced on him. "Don't tell me you've never worn lipstick before?" she asked demurely.

"Uh, well actually," he responded as he started to back up again the wall. Kagome was advancing on him.

She started to talk to him in a singsong voice. "You said that you would be a lady, right?"

"Errrr, yes," answered Inuyasha knowing somehow deep inside that he was going to regret his previous promise to Kagome.

"Ladies wear makeup," she responded with a giggle as the offending bright red lipstick was placed against his lips.

* * *

Hojo and Hiten were trying to sip their green tea when they heard some disturbing noises from the women's restroom. Then, not minutes after the ruckus had started, Kagome and Shaya arrived back at their dinner table.

What Hiten saw made him even more enraptured with Shaya. The girl had not worn any makeup to their date, but she'd still looked like a flawless beauty. Now, there was glossy red lipstick on her entirely too kissable lips, golden eyeshadow across each eyelid that accented her beautiful amber eyes, and heavy mascara that made her thick lashes seem even more seductive.

His hanyou date was pouting for some reason when she sat back down cross-legged. Not only did she cross her legs, but she also crossed her arms, which pushed up her ample bosom. Shaya was looking at Kagome irritably and her eyebrow was twitching.

He could only smile at the sight of his goddess. _My goddess!_ Sitting across from him in all her beauty. Tonight she was his date and his alone. And he was going to do everything possible to make sure that she fell for him before the night was through.

_Shaya, Shaya, Shaya…what a beautiful name. _He looked at her dreamily as he sat across from her.

Soon his silver-haired beauty stopped pouting. Kagome was motioning for her to sit in a mermaid pose with her knees tucked under her. He saw his date roll her eyes as she complied. Once Kagome smiled at Shaya, he saw his date warily scan the table. Once her pools of sunshine collided with his own he was star struck. He smiled wistfully at her in return, only to have his date grimace.

Hiten looked at himself. _Do I have a stain on my shirt? _He even tried to sniff himself as slyly as he could. _Do I smell bad?_ Dog demons were notorious for wanting their mates to smell good. _Mates… _The entire idea of mating with Shaya was enough to send his mind into a frenzy of images. All of the images his brain conjured were of how he imagined his silver haired goddess would look with no clothes on, asking for his embrace.

The lightning demon couldn't help himself. He gave Shaya a knowing grin that spoke of things to come.

And he never understood why she recoiled in shock after looking at his face. Shortly after that, Shaya grabbed Kagome again and dragged her out the front door. She was mumbling something about leaving.

Hojo didn't miss a beat. "Yes. We'll continue on our date at the Karaoke-Kan!" he exclaimed proudly.

The lovely hanyou girl had Kagome's arm clutched in hers. She seemed to be tugging at her roommate, but the miko refused to be moved.

"Karaoke? Really?" she cried out in glee.

Shaya only groaned.

* * *

The hanyou girl walked in reluctantly to the glimmering establishment known as 'Karaoke-Kan.' All around her was a fairly large crowd, aluminum tables, shiny metal benches, and neon lights. Hojo was already leading the way excitedly to the front desk. As they walked forward, Inuyasha was bombarded with heavy music that hurt his sensitive ears. He grimaced in pain when he heard some horrid screeching noises. _What was that?_

Inuyasha turned around to look at the bar and the nearby stage where a guy with spiky black hair with bright blue streaks was singing 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails. The hanyou couldn't help but to cover up his ears that had already folded down against the top of his head.

Kagome was the only one to notice his distress. Soon, she was rifling through her purse again and seemed to have found something. "Ah ha!" she murmured in glee before she held up two fluorescent orange earplugs. They glowed strangely in the red and blue neon lights. "I always have pair so that I can study in silence," Kagome said with a smile. "It looks like right now you need them more than I do."

Kagome managed to fit them into his dog-like ears. Inuyasha pressed one in a little more with his finger and adjusted the other one slightly. Now the sounds were almost bearable. It was too bad that the singer had a voice like nails scratching on a chalkboard.

The boy on stage was yelling into his microphone as the background acoustics vibrated through the bar, "I want to feel you from the inside…I want to fuck you like an animal."

"Hey, Shaya," called out a familiar girl's voice. Inuyasha winced once he saw Kori walking toward him with a huge grin on her face. "So, whatcha doing here, mutt?" asked his buddy while he smiled a little too pointedly at Kagome. Inuyasha had to stop himself from growling.

He spoke with clenched teeth. "Just out with friends," she answered heatedly.

"Oh?" asked Kori as he eyed Kagome in her tight fitting top and miniskirt. He then tugged on Inuyasha's arm to pull him away from the group. "So are you dating Kagome?"

Suddenly, the world seemed brighter and less awkward for the hanyou. Shaya took a swaggered step and then crossed her arms in front of her. "Yeah, Kagome and me. We're on our first date," bragged Inuyasha as he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here, wolf-shit?"

Kori grinned, showing rows of perfectly sharp, white teeth. "I'm meeting my little lipstick lesbian here. Then, I'm taking her to one of those 'love hotels' and I am going to bang her sweet pussy." The wolf demon finished his speech by licking his lips in anticipation. "It's been two fucking weeks since I've had a girl. That is way too damned long."

Inuyasha glared at his friend in irritation. He was trying to come up with some sort of smart-ass remark when he felt Hiten slide his hand up the small of his back. Suddenly his back stiffened from the unwanted contact and his eyes widened in apparent horror.

"Shaya-chan," cooed the lightning demon. "I've been missing your company. Please join us, dear." Hiten flashed a heart-stopping smile at Kori as he continued, "Please excuse us," and then tried to maneuver Shaya away.

If it wasn't bad enough a guy was making a play for him, it certainly made matters infinitely worse when wolf-shit was able to witness the entire proceedings. _Shit! I'm never going to live this down!_

The wolf demon nearly doubled over with laughter. "Sure, Shaya. You go have fun with your date!" Then just when Inuyasha thought the humiliation was almost over he heard the wolf demon tease, "Hey, Shaya, when did you become a switch hitter?"

_That is fucking it!_ Inuyasha spun around with his fists clenched. He shoved his 'date' unceremoniously aside to stalk over to his friend who was unfortunately doubled over in utter delirium, laughing uncontrollably.

He was fuming, he was mad and he really couldn't bear to lose any more dignity than what he had already lost. His tightly clenched hand was about to connect with Kori's face when a gentle hand touched his arm. Kagome's soothing scent and calm voice overpowered everything, temporarily numbing his anger. "Shaya-chan, you have to help me. They're trying to pick out a private room and I'd rather sing to a large audience."

Inuyasha's ears twitched. He looked pointedly at Kori who was nearly crying with laughter and then pulled Kagome away. He put his arm around hers as they made their way to the counter where Hojo and Hiten were working with the front desk to get their own karaoke room.

Despite the booming loud noises, Inuyasha overheard Hojo's conversation. "Yes, we'd like a private room," the brown haired boy said. Then the boy smiled when he saw Kagome approach and he put his hand on the small her back.

Inuyasha couldn't help it. He started to growl. _No fucker is going to touch Kagome while I am around!_ He quickly rebuffed Hojo's efforts by grabbing Kagome by the arm and pulling her back.

Hiten leaned up to Shaya and whispered into her fur-lined ear, "Yes, I'd love some alone time with you, Sha-yah."

Inuyasha managed to shove Hiten back and Hojo out of the way all in one fluid motion. "No, we're going to stay here in the main area," commanded Shaya as she turned around to look at the two boys who seemed surprised.

Inuyasha could tell that the two boys were about to protest, and the last thing he wanted was for him and Kagome to be alone in a room with those two assholes. _I need an excuse they'll buy into… _"Only real men can sing in front of a large audience. So what are you? Real men or…" Shaya let her words drop to emphasize her blatant challenge.

"I can sing in front of this whole bar!" proclaimed Hiten as he flashed Shaya his most impressive crooked grin that usually had girls falling at his feet. Shaya only looked on—bored.

Hojo was not about to be outclassed. "I'll not only sing in front of everyone! I'll do it right now." The hapless teenager turned to Kagome and held her hand in his. "I'll sing this next song just for you. I've been practicing all week in my room!"

Shaya snickered. Kagome managed a flustered smile as she tried to get her hand out of Hojo's death grip. "Yes, go ahead Hojo. I'd love to hear you sing," she said sweetly.

The light in Hojo's eyes looked like they could spark a bonfire. He gleefully ran to the DJ who was overseeing the events to put his name down as the next singer. After a quick exchange and a few nods, Hojo was on stage.

Hojo took the mike and looked directly at Kagome who stood across the room with Shaya and Hiten. "This song is for Kagome. The only girl I've been thinking about constantly, day in and day out, for the past two years."

Shaya groaned and put his hand over his face. Then, he was perplexed to hear the girls in the audience murmur _sighs_ and _awws_ at the boy's confession.

"Wow, I wish a boy would say something like that to me," commented one girl behind Shaya's back.

_What? Girls actually want to hear that kind of shit?_ Inuyasha glanced at Kagome who was standing beside him. She was blushing and had a small smile on her face. _Don't tell me she enjoys this stuff?_

Inuyasha was beginning to panic when he heard the opening chords to 'I Would Walk 500 Miles' by the Proclaimers drifting over the sound system. Then he winced as Hojo's strained voice started to wail over the speakers.

_When I wake up, yeah I know I'm gonna be,_

_I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you_

Shaya steadied her stance and crossed her arms. _Keh. I'm the man that's waking up next to her now, you idiot. And there's no way that I'm going to let you see Kagome the way I do._

The knowledge that he was able to see her every morning, to see her undress and shower every day made the queasy feeling in his gut subside slightly. _Dream on fucker._

Inuyasha watched the boy walk across the stage with exaggerated steps. Then he frowned when he heard Hojo spout out each word slowly. He was being so slow and deliberate with his words that it was almost comical. _Gods, what a fucking dork!_

_But I would walk 500 miles_

_And I would walk 500 more_

_To be the man who walked 1,000 miles_

_To fall down at your door_

Then Shaya heard another girl whispering to Kagome. "Oh, you're so lucky! It is so romantic that he's singing to you and you alone!"

Inuyasha watched Hojo strut across the stage and noticed that the boy's eyes were on Kagome and no one else. The blush that had blossomed across her face was turning beet red. To his utter dismay, her eyes followed Hojo's as he sang.

_No fucking way!_ Inuyasha was seething as he watched Kagome's date serenade her like some lovesick Romeo.

The seconds ticked by far too slowly for Inuyasha as the boy finished his song. When he was finally done, Hojo gave Kagome the goofiest smile as he returned his mike to the stand. Shaya looked at his girl in abject horror when he saw the light in her eyes and a genuine smile that grew across her lips.

_No!_

Before he could take another breath Hojo already had Kagome's hand in his. "You know that I would walk a thousand miles for you," the boy crooned as he leant over to kiss Kagome on her cheek. _How fucking dare he kiss her!_ His fists clenched and re-clenched as he tried to suppress a growl. Every instinct in his body told him to throttle Hojo, but it was Kagome's eyes that kept him from following through.

Kagome's beautiful mocha eyes peered up at Hojo's with absolute tenderness. "Thank you so much Hojo, no one has ever said such sweet things to me before."

Inuyasha's ears were twitching and he felt nauseous at the saccharine sweet display in front of him. All he could think of was that he needed to best Hojo. He needed to prove that he could sing to Kagome just as nicely and as sweetly. Of course, he was forgetting the minor detail that Kagome still saw him as a fellow girl.

Not letting the facts get in the way of Hojo's comeuppance, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by the wrist and pulled her behind him. "Come on Kagome, we're going to sing together," he muttered loudly.

"Oh, OK," replied Kagome as she stumbled after the fast moving hanyou. Shaya never even bothered to make sure that someone else might have been in front of him. Once she was onstage Shaya handed Kagome a microphone and found another one for herself.

"What song are you singing girls?" called the DJ from the sound booth across from the stage.

Shaya looked puzzled and Kagome looked back and forth between the DJ and Shaya. "Don't you know what song you want to sing, Shaya?"

"Uh," was the only word that Shaya could respond with. Inuyasha had never thought far enough ahead to actually choose a song. He just wanted to get Hojo away from Kagome. Furthermore, he wanted had to prove that he was the better man, err…woman.

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose. "You never even thought of a song, did you Shaya-chan?" The miko then stood up and walked to the center stage. "Please turn on 'Don't Cha' by the Pussycat Dolls."

Shaya looked like she was about to have an aneurysm. She muttered mutinously to Kagome, "There's no way that I'm going to sing a song by that talentless chick band."

His roommate only responded by cocking her eyebrow and then rocking her hips to the side. Inuyasha couldn't help it. His eyes followed her bouncing hips that curved so invitingly from under her tight green skirt. "Too late roomie, now get into the groove!"

A heavy beat reverberated over the speakers and Kagome started to move her hips in concentric circles. Then as the beat crested, she slapped her hands against her thighs. Inuyasha stood right behind the show and was transfixed.

_I know you like me (I know you like me)_

_I know you do (I know you do)_

A small smile crept upon Inuyasha's face as he watched the proceedings. Her body was moving just for him and her voice sounded seductive. However, it was a catcall from the audience that broke him out of his reverie.

"Hey, show your stuff, girl!" a guy screamed.

Inuyasha's eyes trailed from Kagome's rocking hips to the guy who had blatantly told Kagome to show some more moves. _No fucking way._

He didn't have much of a choice, he could let Kagome continue to strut about the stage, showing her lovely assets to every other male in the establishment, or he could upstage her.

Inuyasha shook his head. Trying to get men to look at him instead of Kagome was tantamount to suicide. But what was worse, humiliating himself or having guys drooling over his girl? He quickly decided that humiliation was the better course of action.

Shaya quickly moved in front of Kagome, obscuring her from anyone's gaze. Then while he bit his own lips he also started to rock his hips to the beat. Inuyasha tried not to look revolted when Hiten started to scream words of encouragement from the audience. Instead of looking at his 'date' he only focused on the bright lights facing him and began to sing the chorus.

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me_

_Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me_

_Don't cha, don't cha_

Inuyasha was so focused on staying in the spotlight that he didn't even notice that Kagome had slid up behind him and was mimicking the moves of the girls in the video. His body instantly stiffened when he felt a girls hips rocking against his own. _What the fuck?_

Kagome had brought up her arms above her head and was gyrating her hips like a belly dancer. Then she moved in even closer and smiled up at Shaya with a look of pure mischief. Inuyasha had never felt his heart beat so quickly. His pulse roared in his ears and his breathing quickened. Soon she was spooned against his backside and was moving her hands rhythmically up and down. Her small fingers ghosted over his body, never touching, just teasing. Shaya bit back a moan as she tried to continue singing.

_I know I'm on your mind_

_I know we'll have a good time_

_I'm your friend_

_I'm fun_

_And I'm fine_

_I ain't lying_

_Look at me, you ain't blind_

Inuyasha could only close his eyes and feel her body pressed intimately up against his. They fell into a groove, her body rocking steadily against his and their voices singing the lyrics. Kagome's voice held strong and steady while his voice had trouble keeping up. He was too distracted.

Before he knew it, the rhythm and beat slowed and stopped. Then the luscious form that was pressed up sweetly against him withdrew with a giggle.

"Shaya, that was so much fun. I can't believe the reaction we got," laughed Kagome behind her hand.

Inuyasha finally stopped to look around and saw the lustful gaze of many men looking in their direction. _Oh fuck, no…_ However, the heated stare that made him feel the most nauseous was Hiten's. The boy was looking at Shaya like she was tonight's dessert course.

"So what song do you want to sing next, Shaya?" asked Kagome, her eyes still dancing with a hint of naughtiness.

"Uh, whatever song you want, Kagome," Inuyasha replied as he looked down at her sweet lips that had curved into a beautiful smile. _If I can just ignore the creeps looking at us, I can enjoy touching you again._

His roommate swiveled her body to face the DJ on the far end of the stage. "'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira," Kagome announced into the mike.

There was a small uproar from the crowd that had already started to gather. Apparently the little song and dance that Shaya and Kagome had done had assembled quite a following. Inuyasha could hear hoots and lascivious suggestions from the audience.

Kagome just smiled and kissed Shaya on the cheek before exiting the stage with a sway of her hips.

"Wha…what?" muttered Shaya as she turned to see her roommate leaving with her microphone. "You can't leave me alone up here!"

Then he was horrified to witness her handing her mike off to Hiten. She whispered something in his ear and then the lightning demon walked forward with a malicious smile.

"You can sing with me now," murmured Hiten as he tried to put an arm around Shaya's waist.

The music began to blare out just as Shaya tried to squirm free from Hiten's grasp. "What are you trying to do?" muttered Shaya.

Hiten looked offended. "I'm just trying to sing with you, loosen up," he replied. Then he smiled at the audience and sang the opening verse.

_I never really knew that she could dance like this_

_She makes a man want to speak Spanish_

_Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shaya, Shaya), su casa _

_Shaya, Shaya_

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. _He did not just substitute Shakira's name with my own in this song. Fuck this!_ Shaya tried to pull away, but Hiten grabbed her waist and pulled her close again. Inuyasha tried to struggle and get Hiten's hands off of his body. However, the tussle just ended up looking like Hiten was attempting a new, exotic dance move on Shaya. Hiten kept on singing.

_And when you walk up on the dance floor_

_Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl_

_And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it_

_So you can keep on shaking it_

"Move it, Shaya!" screamed out Kagome as she clapped and rocked her body to the rhythm. She was smiling widely and even Hojo was attempting to move to the beat. Albeit, a little more awkwardly.

However, all Inuyasha could do was to stand there as stiff as a rock while Hiten continued to sing to him. Each time the lightning demon tried to get him to move, he tried to push away in order to sulk alone by the side of the stage. But his date kept on pushing it, kept on trying to maneuver his body right up next to his. _Fucking pervert!_

_Oh I know I am on tonight my hips don't lie_

_And I am starting to feel it's right_

_All the attraction, the tension_

_Don't you see baby, this is perfection_

_Shaya, Shaya_

The song couldn't end soon enough and Inuyasha swore that he would never listen to another Shakira song ever again. Though he had to admit, after his duet with Kagome even the 'Pussycat Dolls' were growing on him.

As the final notes played Hiten moved toward Shaya and tried to kiss her. Inuyasha deftly rebuffed the kiss by scooting away in the opposite direction.

He really couldn't think of anything more embarrassing than having to sing a love duet with another guy. He noted that Kori was laughing her ass off from near the bar as he walked away with what little dignity he had left.

As he moved off of the stage, he tried to find Kagome in the crowd, but couldn't spot her anywhere. His amber eyes darted left and right. Then he sniffed, hoping that he could find her by scent alone. The varied smells of sweat and liquor permeating the place were sickening. He swallowed bile while trying to zero in on Kagome's sweet scent.

"She's in the bathroom," Hojo mentioned casually as he walked up to Shaya. "I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Instantly, Shaya looked relieved. Her stance softened and her clenched fists slowly uncurled. "Feh. You've never seen her go into a bathroom. She'll spend forever in there getting her makeup on." _I'm going in to get her if she takes longer than two minutes!_

Hojo scratched the back of his head. "Oh, so that's what girls do in there that takes so long. You mean they've been putting on makeup?"

Shaya quirked one black manicured eyebrow in Hojo's direction. Luckily for Inuyasha, he never knew how seductive his gaze could be to a member of the opposite sex. Hojo was suddenly blushing madly.

"Yeah, that and silly girl talk," muttered Shaya as she crossed her arms. She kept her eyes locked on the door of the girl's bathroom door.

Hiten slowly made his way through the crowd and caught up to Hojo and Shaya. His hand found its way to Shaya's shoulder and the girl immediately grimaced and then shrugged her shoulder away from the offending lightning demon.

"I…uh, I…," stammered Hiten as he tried to make eye contact with one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met. "I'll get us some drinks," he stated as he looked at his feet.

"Sure, whatever," mumbled Shaya as she blatantly ignored her date, keeping her eyes steadily on the door that Kagome had recently stepped through.

Hiten tried to smile at Shaya. It was a cocky smile that usually had girls falling at his feet. But he was surprised to be ignored. He straightened his back as he left and walked toward the bar.

Hojo looked back and forth between the two participants in wonder. "You don't like him, do you?"

"No shit," replied Shaya with readily apparent agitation in her voice.

Hojo peered up at Shaya again. She was looking away from him as she talked. Her crossed arms were pushing up her bosom and her ears were twitching in agitation.

"You're angry!" exclaimed Hojo.

For one of the first times that evening, Shaya turned and faced Hojo. The young brown haired boy gulped at the beauty before him. Shimmering silver hair that cascaded down her back, golden pools that reflected anger, full red lips and a luscious body with all of the right curves.

"You didn't want me to kiss Kagome earlier, did you?" the boy accused softly.

Shaya almost sighed, but instead she just quirked her eyebrow at the dense boy. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you ever kiss her!" Shaya threatened.

If it was at all possible, Hojo's cheeks reddened even more than they had been.

"I didn't know," stammered Hojo as he scratched the back of his head. He looked up and down at Shaya appraisingly. "Please forgive me," he added.

"Sure, whatever," responded Shaya as she batted one hand at him. The hanyou girl turned to look at the bathroom door at the other end of the club and noticed that Kagome was finally exiting the blasted room. _About damn time, I was about to go in there after her!_

It was then that he noticed Hojo invading his personal space. Before Inuyasha knew what was going on, Shaya's delicate hands were grasped gently in Hojo's soft ones, and the boy was gazing into her eyes with such intense emotion that the hanyou wanted to puke right then and there. "Shaya," cooed Hojo as he caressed Shaya's knuckles with his thumb. Shaya's eyes were wide as the macho man within 'her' begged for a chance to throttle this idiot. Alas, Inuyasha was too stunned to comprehend anything as he blinked stupidly at the teenager.

Taking Shaya's silence and slightly dazed state as confirmation, Hojo continued, "You're absolutely gorgeous. You're possibly one of the most beautiful women gracing the face of the earth. But, please understand, Shaya. I have eyes only for Kagome. At least, until I know she doesn't want me."

"Huh?" was all Shaya could utter before what she just heard registered. With a menacing growl, the hanyou hissed, "You have only eyes for Kagome? Do you want me to gouge out your eyes, you fucking moron?" With that, Shaya shoved the boy to the ground.

Hojo was down on the floor, his butt against the ground and his eyes looking up at Shaya in absolute confusion. "But Shaya, please…," the young man murmured with eyes that looked betrayed.

By this time, Kagome was at Shaya's side. She looked back and forth between a seething Shaya who had her hands balled into fists and a dejected Hojo who was still sitting on the ground with a look of absolute perplexity marking his features.

"You, you…tried to hit on my roommate?" asked Kagome. She looked down at Hojo with thin red lips, raised eyebrows and a stiff form. Shaya could readily tell from her rapid intake of breath that she was probably angrier than he had ever known her to be. "You…you took ME out on a date. And you tried to hit on MY roommate?" seethed the girl.

Hojo shook his head frantically as he cried out, "No! No, Kagome! I would never….!"

Unfortunately, the girl was not listening to his pleas. Instead, she turned to her roommate and asked, "What happened, Shaya? Did he hit on you?"

Inuyasha was torn. How could he answer that? _No, he wasn't hitting on me. The idiot thought _I_ was hitting on _him_ and I had no choice but to brutally shove him to the ground because I'm a fucking man who's in love with you and I can't stand this idiot's blabbering about how much he adores you! He should be thankful he's still breathing!_ Well, that wouldn't work. But, what else could he say? He didn't want to lie to her.

While the hanyou continued to ponder how to answer his miko, Kagome took Shaya's silence as acceptance. Tears started to pool at the edges of the miko's eyes, yet the girl refused to let them be shed. She wiped them fiercely from her face. "Don't you ever come near me again! You two-timing jerk!" screamed Kagome to a stupefied Hojo as a gathering horde of clubbers stood around them gawking.

Kagome turned a tearful eye to Shaya. "Please take me home," she whispered so softly that only a hanyou could hear.

"Sure thing, Kagome," said the other girl as she put an arm around her shoulder and led her away from the debacle. _This date ended better than I hoped it would. Keh!_

Hiten finally arrived at the scene, pushing his way through the crowd that had recently gathered. He held two drinks in his hands. "Shaya, I got you a buttery nipple, Shaya?" he called out in apparent confusion, wondering where his date had gone.

_**

* * *

The Next Two Chapters:**__ Chapter 9 will be titled 'The Pajama Party' and Chapter 10 will be titled: 'I Kissed a Girl.' Chapter 9 is 50% done and Chapter 10 is 75% done. In fact, this chapter took so long because Ai kept on writing in chapter 10 instead. There will be some fun stuff coming up!_

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: 'Absolute Anime' notes that a Japanese magazine named Kagome's mother, 'Kun-loon'. The name sounds more Chinese than Japanese to me, but then again, 'Kagome' is an unusual name as well._

_#2: Yes, what Izayoi and Taisho were doing was extremely typical of two people who have been married for a while._

_#3: There are special 'love hotels' in Japan with suggestive themes like 'S&M Hello Kitty' (no, we didn't make that one up) that you can rent anonymously by the hour._

_#4: Special thanks to SplendentGoddess for suggesting that Hojo sing, 'I Would Walk 500 Miles.' That song is so dorky it's hilarious! And a big thanks to Blackdeathmessenger and Theleb K'aarna who both requested that 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails get in this chapter somehow._

_#5: After Inugrrrl chugged down a 'buttery nipple' drink we had to include it in our story._

_#6: We've had too many questions about this, so we want to settle this one right away!_

_**Are Inuyasha and Kouga really girls? Are they in drag? What is going on?**_

_They look like girls, but that's just an illusion. Think of it as a super fancy hologram. They are still guys not only mentally, but also physically. The concealment spell Sesshoumaru put on them makes them look, sound and smell like girls to everyone, including the boys themselves. So, when Inuyasha (or Kouga for that matter) looks in the mirror or looks down at himself, he sees a girl. For instance, he sees that he has boobs, but when he touches himself, he can feel his completely male, hard chest instead of soft feminine curves. It's the same for other parts of his anatomy. Amazing spell, isn't it? Sesshoumaru must have paid tons of money to get them done. :)_


	9. Pajama Party

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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_**Warnings:** Swearing and sexual situations.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger, SplendentGoddess and Theleb K'aarna!  
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**Music used in this chapter:** _Centerfold by the J. Geils Band http : // www . youtube . com / watch?v=BqDjMZKf-wg&NR=1  
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**Artwork for this chapter:** _http : // aikisugi . deviantart . com / art / Kagome-Braids-Shaya-s-Hair-140181092  
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Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea_

**Chapter 9: Pajama Party**

A golden desk lamp reflected the silver hues of long messy hair and the blurred form of its owner who sat cross-legged on her futon. Red sweat pants adorned her long legs, and a white tank top strained over her full bosom as the hanyou girl crossed her arms on her chest with an irritated sigh. The two adorable dog ears atop her head and her striking golden orbs were the only parts of the girl that moved as she watched her roommate stroll around their small dorm room, getting ready to go to bed.

Shaya huffed when Kagome left the room with her toothbrush in hand and without a single glance in her direction. Then, she scoffed when the dark-haired girl returned and laid on her futon, still ignoring Shaya. The hanyou's lips jutted out in a pout before she heard her roommate mutter almost inaudibly, "Goodnight, Shaya-chan."

That had been the last straw, and Inuyasha found himself crying out, "All right, that's it!" Since they had left the karaoke bar earlier that night and the idiot Hojo in it, Kagome had been unusually silent. Sadness radiated off of her, and it was driving him crazy. Did she care so much for that pansy-ass that she was so horribly broken? Mentally cursing the day he had suggested that she date, he stood up only to plop down on Kagome's futon behind her.

"Will you tell me what the fuck is wrong?" demanded the hanyou as his ears twitched wildly left and right.

The girl in front of him looked at her in surprise before she turned her head to look at the futon cover in front of her. She whispered morosely, "I don't want to talk about it, Shaya-chan."

Inuyasha leaned back and started to grind his teeth. He then looked at the distraught girl who was staring wordlessly at her blanket. It took everything in him to not yell at her, but he was able to control his anger when he saw how defeated she seemed. "Are you angry with me?" he questioned.

Kagome's head whirled around to face Shaya. Her eyes were wide with astonishment. "What? Why would I be angry with you? You did nothing wrong." She swallowed and looked back at her futon. She started to pick at the cover's stray threads.

Shaya frowned and managed to uncross his arms as he moved closer to his roommate. "Are you still upset because of that Homo guy?" he asked. His fingers itched to take the miko's nervous hands in his.

Kagome sighed and then looked up at the ceiling. Inuyasha noticed that tears were starting to form at the edges of her eyes. But she blinked determinedly in an effort to keep them at bay. "No. I'm angry with myself for being so stupid. How could I think that he was actually interested in me? I'm such an idiot. I should have known I wasn't interesting enough to keep his attention." Kagome took a deep breath and looked squarely at her roommate. Shaya nearly grimaced when he saw the miko's bloodshot eyes and the subtle pain her mocha orbs held.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked in a daze. "Why would you think…?" It took him a moment to realize it, but he finally understood that Kagome somehow thought she was unworthy of Hojo's attentions. _More like that dumbass isn't worthy of hers. Why the hell can't she see the truth?_ Inuyasha grimaced as he came to the realization that he would need to tell Kagome the real facts. He'd rather have Kagome get back together with that moron than to have her look at him one more time with so much sadness and utter misery in her orbs.

"Look, Kagome… He wasn't flirting with me. The moron thought that I was interested in him, and he was telling me that you were the one he liked." His eyes looked squarely into hers. He clenched his jaw because he really didn't want her going back to that love-struck jerk, but he would do whatever it took to stop the deep sadness that radiated from her.

Kagome nearly sobbed. She wiped the corners of her eyes. "Stop, Shaya-chan. Please." The miko tried to get a hold of her emotions by closing her eyes and breathing deeply. As she answered her roommate she murmured her words and never opened her eyes. "You're such a good friend. But, you can't expect me to believe that a guy could turn you down for me." Kagome looked gloomily at her roommate, her shoulders hunched in defeat.

"Huh?" _She doesn't believe me?_

Kagome slowly shook her head and then looked at her roommate sadly. "You have no idea, do you?" The girl turned away to cross her arms and then spoke softly. "You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen and you're so much fun to be around! Hojo should have known he wasn't good enough for you. But obviously, I'm an even bigger idiot." Her voice dropped into a whisper that only a dog demon could hear. "I should have known that I wasn't good enough for him."

"But, Kagome…" Inuyasha pleaded. _Fuck! She doesn't believe me! And how can she possibly think so little of herself?_

His roommate sighed and moved to turn off the golden light on the stand next to Shaya. Blackness quickly crept over them. "Please, Shaya-chan. I don't want to talk about this anymore? I'll be all right, I promise. I just need some sleep. Goodnight."

Inuyasha glowered in the dark. _Somehow, someway I'm going to fix this!_

* * *

Swirling neon lights illuminated a busy street and the tiny booth strategically situated across from the nearby 'Love Hotel Hill.' Red and purple flashed over the selection of women's underwear displayed on the small wooden stall as the elderly street vendor standing behind it searched the passing crowd with the huge, greedy balls that were his eyes. _Hmmm… Tonight might be just my lucky night._

Readjusting the clasp under his nose, he patted the two cups of the bra he was wearing over his head. His gaze fell onto two long, supple legs covered by tight jeans that were headed in his direction down the street. Luscious hips, a tiny waist and full breasts accompanied those two pillars on the shapely form of a young woman with lush dark hair and brilliant cerulean eyes.

Just as Happosai was about to call out to the voluptuous goddess, he was surprised to see her making a beeline to his booth—the stall where he sold his unique herbal sex remedies.

"Oi!" called out the lovely lady in the tight, low slung jeans. She stood in front of his stand and grinned at the array of bras and panties that adorned the area.

"Yes," murmured Happosai as he gazed up and down at her figure. He noted the way her blue tube top caressed every curve of her well-endowed breasts. Then he looked down to see a sliver of tan skin between her top and her sinfully, taut jeans. _What did she do? Paint them on? This is my lucky night!_

The short street vendor was apparently looking too long at the sexy apparition in front of him because he did not notice what the girl was touching. The girl's hands and pink polished nails were fingering a lacey black bra that was dangling from the ceiling of the makeshift street cart.

The old man nearly blanched in dismay as he grabbed the bra away from Kori's digits and held it protectively to his chest. "They're not for sale!" he screeched.

Kori's normally convivial grin faltered for a moment before demanding, "What the fuck are you selling then?"

The letch stood up on a stool so that his diminutive stature would be tall enough to see eye to eye with his potential buyer. Then he smirked evilly at the wolf demoness and pulled a small jar out of his jacket pocket. The short man with balding curly gray hair and a bra stuck on his head tried to look serious as he showed Kori a brown ceramic jar. It had the words, 'Happo-Fire Burst' imprinted on it in red, fiery letters.

"It's to increase the potency of a man's sex tool," added the old man conspiratorially. He leaned back and clearly expected the girl to be impressed.

The girl just smiled and then clutched her own privates and waggled her eyebrows at the street vendor. "Nahh, I don't need any of that stuff. 'Little Kouga' here ain't so little. And the girls have never complained about my…" Kori stopped for a moment to add a forward hip thrust. "…staying power, if you know what I mean…"

The vendor only gaped wide mouthed in astonishment. "What?"

Kori pointed to herself and her wide bosom once more. "This raging piece of manhood doesn't need any herbs to perform. But I'll recommend it to my buddy, good ol' dog shit. He seems to have some problems scoring even though he gets treated to a private show by a girl every day and night." The young woman shook her head as if she was in on a joke that only she could understand.

Happosai looked at the buxom girl quizzically and let his eyes wander over her generous curves once more. Puzzlement clearly was marked all over his features.

Kori smiled with immense self-confidence that simply radiated from her. She looked at the diminutive vendor in the eyes. "Now, could you tell me where the White Box Hotel is?"

The vendor tried to regain his bearings and simply pointed to an urban looking hotel across the street from them.

Kori smiled deviously. "Oh. Right under my nose and I never saw it. Thanks man! I have to score with my hot date!" The girl flipped her hair at the vendor and turned around to show a swagger in her wide, curvaceous hips.

Happosai's eyes followed the girl's every movement. He stood entranced by her body's shifting hips as she walked away. But he was still perplexed by her bizarre choice of words. No matter, the night was young and he knew he would get lucky soon. Something told him that another choice undergarment would soon be added to his bountiful collection of women's wear.

Over the next half an hour Happosai tried unsuccessful to sell his potent herbal remedies. Tonight no one seemed interested in his Happo-Fire Burst paste or even his Royal Dragon Extenders. He muttered to himself before his head turned to a woman's shriek that could clearly be heard across the street.

There she was, that same girl who had visited his stall earlier. Her ebony hair was disheveled, her tube top almost falling off of her ample breasts. The demoness' skin-tight jeans were unbuttoned and low and behold—a miracle had occurred. The girl had satin black panties clutched in her whitened knuckles.

Kori looked fearfully behind her before turning up the speed to run as far away from the area as possible.

"Miss!" cried out Happosai. "I'll trade you a jar of super potent Happo-Fire Burst for your pair of panties!"

The distraught girl let out a screech as she looked at the black panty in revulsion. She didn't even glance behind her as she threw the undergarment at the street vendor before rushing off to the subway.

The old man's eyes were glazed over in eternal happiness. He watched the fateful panty drift in the air before falling into his outstretched hand.

_I knew this would be my lucky night!_ A huge grin broke on his face before Happosai cried out triumphantly, "What a haul!"

* * *

When Saturday morning dawned, Kagome was still laying listlessly both in and out of her covers. She shifted restlessly and Inuyasha noticed that a bare leg was dangling out of the covers and her arm was perched haplessly over the ebony strands.

He was a hanyou and he certainly didn't need as much sleep as a human did. He swore that he was going to make this situation right and now he was going to attempt to put his plan into place.

The only problem was that he had _no_ plan.

_Fuck!_ He had stared at the blackened ceiling of his dorm room for hours last night trying to figure out what he could do to keep Kagome from crying and if at all possible, to make her happy again.

He thought his best idea by far was to beat the crap out of Hojo and then to tell Kagome about it. But knowing Kagome, she'd just cry some more, and he just hated to see her cry. Sobbing women just did something to him that made him feel horribly uncomfortable. Seeing Kagome upset and nearly at the point of tears, made him feel like his heart had been wrenched from his chest.

So, beating up Hojo wouldn't solve anything. But what else could he do? He wanted to protect Kagome and by the Kami he would protect her! He'd hover over her for the rest of her life if he could. But protecting her body was different than protecting her heart. He had been next to her all along, and her fragile heart had still been hurt!

Inuyasha blamed Hojo. _It was all that fucking moron's fault! _If he hadn't sung Kagome that stupid love song or attempted to date her, this never would have happened. He quickly decided that he needed to make sure that the girl never dated again, unless it was Inuyasha. With that thought, he smiled. _That is a great idea! It would solve everything! _He just needed to sweep her off her feet, tell her she was the most beautiful and sweetest smelling thing he had ever chanced upon. That he was in love with her and that…

_Oh yeah, shit… I look like a girl…_

He scratched his head and wondered what else he could possibly do. He thought about asking Kouga for advice, but that idiot would just tell him to fuck Kagome—literally. And he didn't think that she'd appreciate a lesbian come-on right now.

Inuyasha stood up and made his way over to his dresser to pull out a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. As he got dressed he kept on trying to come up with a solution.

So who else could he ask? _My Mom?_ No, she probably wanted to kill him as much as his dad did. Sesshoumaru? _No fucking way. Bastard!_ Sango…

He was trying to come up with a reason why he shouldn't ask Sango when all of the sudden the idea seemed truly brilliant. Sango was her best friend; Sango was a girl and knew how those sneaky wenches thought and she was also pretty smart. She aced tests without even studying.

His decision was made. With a newfound glimmer in his eyes and a certain perkiness to his step that the spell must have created—because there was no fucking way that he'd ever skip like a girl—he made his way over to Sango's dorm room.

When Inuyasha rapped at her door he had completely forgot that first of all, it was 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and second, that she had three other roommates who might not like being woken so early on a weekend. After a few profuse apologies, he made amends and managed to get Sango out of her dorm room.

It took only a few minutes to get Sango up to speed. Once the girl had realized the severity of the situation, she no longer looked miffed at Shaya for making her get up so early.

Sango looked at the hanyou with eyes bugged out in disbelief. "You're telling me that Kagome saw Hojo making a play for you?"

Shaya only nodded solemnly.

"And you shoved that bastard to the ground?"

"Oh, you know it!" he smirked.

"And now Kagome is depressed?" she asked with eyes full of sympathy.

At that Inuyasha's grin faltered and he gazed his golden eyes at Sango beseechingly. "I just know that she's really sad and I can't fix it. It's driving me crazy! I don't know what to do."

Sango patted her shoulder reassuringly. "I know exactly what that girl needs."

"Oh?" asked Shaya. She arched an eyebrow in question.

Sango looked ahead with fierce determination. "Yes, she needs a little women time. She needs to feel the bond of friendship. She needs lots of chocolate. She needs to enjoy herself. She needs to be pampered. She needs to get drunk. She needs to just forget about men for a while. She needs…"

Shaya interrupted Sango because he clearly had no idea what she was talking about. "That all sounds nice. Really Sango, it does. But what can we do to fix this?"

Sango grinned at Shaya and then patted her on the back. "Why…she needs a pajama party of course!"

* * *

Inuyasha felt like he had stepped out of a whirlwind. Once Sango had decided on a course of action he could only step back and try to avoid the swirling activity that surrounded her. Within a few hours she had consulted all of Kagome's close friends and had concocted a pajama party with all of the accoutrements that went with one. He was happy that a real girl was planning this for Kagome. He was very certain that he would have screwed this one up if he had done this alone.

Sango even managed to sit down and talk to Kagome about what had happened last night. Inuyasha watched the event with complete chagrin and noticed how the two girls hugged and cried together—there was no fucking way that he'd ever cry in front of anyone. Amazingly, once they were done with their little crying pow-wow, Kagome seemed to be a little more cheerful. She even gave him a watery smile and thanked him for thinking about her.

And it was that one little smile that somehow made his chest feel like it was a hundred times lighter. He almost felt like he was floating, which was a good thing since Sango had just divvied up the chores that everyone was supposed to do prior to the party. He was unfortunately teamed up with Kouga. They were in charge of delivering the booze for the party.

Inuyasha wasn't looking forward to this. He knew that Kouga was going to spend his time teasing him about last night. _As if I haven't been humiliated enough…_

Shaya took a deep cleansing breath as she followed along behind Kori, her head held high and a thin smile plastered across her face. _I'll just grin and bear it._

They had walked out of the dormitory and had headed to the nearest Tokyo Metro station. What surprised Inuyasha was how silent his buddy was being. Kouga was normally the one talking and bragging like there was no tomorrow. Considering that Inuyasha had been completely humiliated by having to go on a date with a guy and even had to sing a karaoke love-duet with him, surely Kouga would be having him eat crow by now. But there was nothing, only silence.

The unnatural quiet continued as the pair went past the subway turnstiles. Kouga seemed to be walking like a zombie as he made his way into the underground train.

The wolf demon grabbed a silver handlebar with one hand and stared ahead morosely. Inuyasha peered at his buddy's face. The wolf demon girl he looked at in the crowded subway car had a sullen expression on her face. It wasn't anything like what he had expected. His wolf friend often was jovial, conniving, a complete hentai and not anything like the sad, cheerless wench he was now standing next to.

_What the fuck happened to him? He was supposed to get laid last night._

"Oi, wolf-shit!"

Kori turned her cerulean blue eyes at him. Inuyasha stared at the defeated girl, who was looking at him with as much stoicism as she could muster.

"What the fuck happened to you?" questioned the confused half-demon. "I thought you were going out with your lesbian lover last night."

Kori's eyes widened and then she furiously yelled at her friend, "Keep your god-damned voice down. I don't want this entire car to know what I was doing last night."

Shaya quirked a manicured black brow at her friend. "And what were you doing last night? Normally, you'd be telling me all of the gory details by now."

Inuyasha looked quizzically at his friend who had the most curious expression on her face. She was blanching as if she was remembering a particularly disturbing nightmare. Kori normally had perfectly tanned, bronze skin, so it was bizarre to see her face whitening and losing color.

"I…I don't want to talk about it," murmured Kori as she blatantly ignored Shaya's eyes and looked at the linoleum floor of the train car instead.

Now, Inuyasha wasn't the most intelligent guy on the block, but he did have a sense of street smarts—a quality that had proven invaluable after the many antics he had pulled over the years with Kouga. His senses were now buzzing at him, telling him something was immensely wrong. Something was out of place. _Since when did Kouga not want to talk about his dates? Or his conquests?_ Inuyasha snorted to himself.

Then something dawned on Inuyasha, something too delicious to ever let go.

"You…you didn't get laid last night did you?" questioned the hanyou as the realization slowly dawned on him. He couldn't help it, a small sly smile started to grace his perfectly pink lips. _Oh man, I think the kami might actually exist! _

The sullen, defeated look on Kori's face somehow morphed into horror as her jaw clenched and her face became even whiter. The only words that escaped her lips was a low whisper, "Something like that..."

Inuyasha's small smile started to spread across his rosebud lips. "Oh, so what happened to you and your little lipstick lesbian at the love hotel then?" queried the hanyou. He only felt a tiny tinge of guilt when he saw his best buddy shiver in disgust as if he had been asked to eat a bucket of youkai guts.

Kori's eyes withdrew from the floor and focused away from everything. She was staring outside the window of the train and the blurred concrete tunnels that they were passing. "We met up at a love hotel. She uh…" Kori paused and looked like he was trying to swallow something that did not agree with him. His white face now appeared a little tepid. He then turned and looked at Shaya dead in the eyes. "Remember when you read her personal ad and she said she packed?"

Inuyasha could only nod, having no idea what that had to do with why his friend was so morose.

"Well, for a lesbian, that means that she," Kori tried to choke back the sound that Inuyasha normally heard his friend make when he needed to puke his guts out. The wolf demoness put a hand in front to her face as if to hold back the bile building there. "It means, that she, uh…that she wears a…a…strap-on."

"A fucking what? A strap-on?" asked Shaya a little too loudly for Kori's comfort.

"Shut the fuck up!" yelled Kori and after she noticed the inhabitants of the train looking at the two girls. She lowered her voice so that it was almost inaudible. In fact, only a dog demon could hear her voice now. "You know, a strap-on—a fake dick," continued Kori in a whisper. She stood rigid against the railing and her eyes had the blank look of someone recalling a moment of extreme horror. "She…she tried to make me her bitch," lamented Kori as she turned to look at her best buddy with pleading, sad eyes.

Inuyasha should have been the one to comfort his friend. Kouga had been his best friend and fellow conspirator for the past few years. But the guy also had an ego the size of greater Tokyo and had been mercilessly teasing him since they had met. Inuyasha deemed that the kami were trying to make things up to him for his recent humiliations. For once, justice had been served.

"Bwahahahaha!" screamed out Shaya. She doubled over in absolute hysterics. "You…you…she tried to…Muhahahaha…make you her….Bwahahahaha…her…bitch!"

Inuyasha didn't care that every member of the train car was either staring at them or trying to move as far away from them as possible. He felt tears form at the corners of his eyes. His guffaws made his sides ache in pain and he was damned if he hadn't been this hysterical in ages.

"The fucking kami exist! I knew it!" was all Kori could hear over Shaya's cackles of laughter.

* * *

Takeshi was in the middle of the busiest train station in the entire world, the Shinjuku station. He was walking along an oblong, concrete subway with low ceilings and a multitude of people. The busy citizens of Tokyo passed him in streams of colors and shapes. Some walked, some ran, some yelled, and some strolled by in silence while reading their daily newspaper or manga.

Today he was wearing a medical mask that most Japanese wore when they had a cold. It kept the germs from spreading in crowded areas like the Tokyo subway. It also had the added effect of obscuring his voice when he spoke.

Takeshi walked to the phone booth and slid a phone card into the waiting credit-card sized slot. He quickly dialed the number he had memorized and waited for the recipient to pick up the line. As the phone rang he fiddled with the ammo clip in the pocket of his black trench coat.

Soon a stoic and irritated voice was heard from the other end of the speaker. "Moshi, moshi. Takahashi."

"I've found Rin," Takeshi stated smoothly.

Sesshoumaru's cool voice fractured momentarily with a stifled gasp.

He had been waiting more than two years to find out what had happened to Rin. He hadn't even known whether she was dead or alive. When she disappeared after her father's death, he had no knowledge as to why it had happened. Was it her intentional desire to flee or had she been kidnapped? Surely the kidnapped girlfriend of a high-level executive of Takahashi, Inc. could nab a lot of money, but there was never a ransom call, never a single word. "Rin? What?" His voice stilled and became laced with suspicion. "Who is calling me?"

A cool, even voiced replied, "Meet me at the 'Seventh Heaven' on Roppongi Street, tonight at 10 p.m."

"Where…" The dog demon was quickly cut off as Takeshi hung up the phone. The middle-aged man looked at the receiver unapologetically. He tugged off the medical mask and frowned. The white mask was quickly tossed in a nearby garbage bin as he walked away, getting lost within the myriad of faces and voices of the Tokyo subway.

* * *

It took a minor act of the gods to get Shaya and Kori back to the dormitory in one piece. However, they did succeed in their mission. After plugging a multitude of Yen into an alcohol vending machine at a Tokyo Metro station, they had managed to buy six, medium-sized bottles of sake.

Kori grinned as he arranged some small, black sake cups onto a lacquered tray. He then poured the chilled sake into two small pitchers.

Kouga had regained his lost humor once he spied on Kagome and Ayame in their pajamas. Kagome was wearing a pink and red trimmed Chinese silk set. Ayame was sporting a purple, satin spaghetti-strapped top with matching shorts. Of course, neither of the girls was wearing a bra, and the wolf demon was happily leering at his fellow roommates. Next Kouga ran off to put on a pair of black silk boxer shorts and a white wife beater. He wasn't going to be left out.

Kori ran into Shaya in the hallway and eyed her with distaste. "Get a move on and change!" he admonished as he waved his hand at the jeans and t-shirt that she wore.

Shaya mumbled in compliance and walked into her room to change. She was astounded to see that the ladies had already taken up residence in his room. Sango had managed to move her TV set onto his dresser and was plugging in a DVD player.

Inuyasha felt awkward and embarrassed as he pulled out a pair of shorts and started to make his way to the bathroom. But it was Sango who stopped him.

"Shaya," she reprimanded as she blocked the girl from exiting the room. "There's no need to change away from us. A pajama party is all about girls losing our inhibitions and just having fun. Disrobe here!"

Inuyasha balked and shook his head in the universal language that clearly said, 'No.'

However, Sango would not be dissuaded. "Come on girls, let's get Shaya!" she yelled.

Ayame and Kagome squealed as they jumped on Shaya and threw her onto the futon. Sango joined in as well and he soon had three girls piled on top of him. After some wriggling, his roommate and Sango had managed to pull off his jeans and Ayame was trying to pull up his pajama shorts.

"I can take it from here, thanks," Shaya mumbled in utter mortification. Another man might have been completely turned on by having three girls tugging his clothes off. However, Inuyasha was a private person and he was starting to wonder if this pajama party was really such a good idea.

He chanced a glance at Kagome and saw her smiling back at him. She had been so morose last night and during the morning. Now, she was finally starting to perk back up. _Fine, it is worth it!_

"What should we do first?" questioned Ayame after Sango had finished setting up their entertainment for the night.

"Hairdos!" yelled Kagome.

"You have got to be kidding me," deadpanned Kori who was surveying the dorm room. _I was hoping for an all-girl make-out session, not doing each other's hair!_ He grimaced in obvious distaste.

"Oh, manicures and pedicures!" shrieked Ayame.

Both Shaya and Kori managed to roll their eyes at the sudden influx of estrogen that had surfaced in the room.

Inuyasha felt himself being tugged back onto Kagome's futon and she motioned for him to sit down in front of her. "I have always wanted to play with your hair," the girl murmured with undue reverence.

"You're not serious," stated Shaya even as he felt the bristles of a brush slowly make their way from the top of his scalp to the ends of his hair. Kagome had brushed his hair once before and just like the last time he found it to be soothing. He tried to keep himself from purring like a pansy as he enjoyed his girlfriend's calming ministrations.

He cocked an eye over at Kouga who was shooing Sango and Ayame away. They were trying to get him to acquiesce to a manicure. "I really don't want pink nail polish with little jewels and flowers on them," he muttered in protest.

"But you already have pink nails," Ayame cooed.

"No flowers and no jewels. It's just not…" Kouga protested as he stilled his voice.

"Not what?" queried Ayame as she started to buff his nails despite his protests.

Kori swallowed, not really wanting to continue what he was about to say. "…not very manly?" he finished.

It seemed like the redhead was about to question him about his last comment when she noticed that her nail file was not taking off his nail polish. "What's going on with your nails, Kori?"

_Oh, fuck. The illusion can't be changed._ Kori snatched her hands away. "Uh, I'd rather have a drink you know. I'll get the sake. Maybe you can do Sango's nails?"

Ayame only looked at him quizzically, while Sango shrugged as she got up to pull a DVD out of its case.

"What are we watching tonight?" asked Kagome as she started to braid Shaya's side locks. The dog demon tried not to huff in annoyance. Deep down inside, he was actually relishing the attention, but did it have to be girly attention?

Sango laughed as she put the disk into the DVD player. "It's 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'!"

"What?" asked Kagome who stilled her hands that were twisting Shaya's hair into a long plait. "We're watching a porno?"

"All right!" exclaimed Kori with barely restrained enthusiasm as he reappeared in the room with his tray of sake. _Finally, something to look forward to tonight!_

Sango waved her hand to dismiss the two. "No, no, the title is a little misleading. It's about two roommates, who decide to make a low-budget porn together, but it's not pornography. It's actually a comedy."

"Two roommates who get together to make a porn?" voiced Shaya incredulously. Inuyasha couldn't help but to look back at Kagome shyly and he found his face heated with a blush. He couldn't help but to think of what it would be like to make that sort of a movie with his 'roommate.' _Hell, any excuse to have sex with Kagome!_ He gazed at Kagome and was thankful that she didn't notice his brief stare.

He imagined her naked, straddling him before an unbidden image of two females riding each other came to his mind. _Shit! It'd be a lesbian porno! _He shook his head at the thought and turned his attention to the movie that was about to play in front of him. Kagome continued the rhythmic and soothing braiding of his hair.

Sango pressed the play button, and Ayame turned down the lights. While the movie played in their little dorm room, everyone huddled on the futon platforms to watch the plot unfold. Kori made sure that everyone had cups and was quick to pour out the sake. Before Inuyasha knew it, Ayame had downed an entire bottle of sake and Kagome had a number of shots. Luckily, she had already finished braiding both of his side locks, otherwise he was quite sure that his hairdo would have looked rather lopsided.

By now, Kagome's head bobbed unsteadily next to his, so he placed his arms around her side in order to steady her. She looked up at him sheepishly and grinned. Kori was still trying to ply her with additional drinks, but Inuyasha kept rebuffing his attempts. She might be hurling in the morning as it was; there was no need to make it any worse.

His roommate giggled at the movie as she sat in his arms. She was laughing a little too hard. It was funny, but not that funny! Eventually it came to the part where the roommates were going to film the porn scene. Zack looked like a scruffy faced, overweight geek. Yet, for some reason he got to have sex with Miri, who was a voluptuous, beautiful blonde. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome whose eyes were half-closed and her face was resting on his shoulder. _Of course, Kagome is prettier than Miri._ His roommate had long tresses of ebony hair that fell down her kissable shoulders to her silky bottom. He looked at her lacey black eyelashes that fluttered open and closed over her umber orbs as she took a few passing glances at the movie.

"Oi, Kagome!"

"Wha…what?" asked Kagome as she sleepily raised her face within centimeters of his own.

"There's no way that Miri would sleep with her roommate in real life, right?" he asked.

Kagome looked up at Shaya with a silly smile plastered on her face. "Oh, I don't know. Zack's funny and adorable…"

"But…but," Inuyasha nearly choked. "But she's so beautiful and he's so…so…"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Sha-yah, I can't believe you!" Kagome tottered back as she pointed her finger at Shaya's chest, not really noticing that instead of pressing up against soft breasts that she had met something hard and muscular. "There's more to a guy than his looks. Does...does he love you? It's…it's what's in here…" Kagome pointed rather stupidly to Shaya's heart. "It's what's in there…that's important!" she said as her voice trailed away.

Kagome sighed and dropped her head to rest next to Shaya's lap. She turned and looked up at Shaya. "I would give any…anything to have a guy… love me with all his heart…," she said while turning her head to look at the TV screen again.

"Have a guy love you with all his heart?" Inuyasha whispered. Kagome could only nod her head while she lay on the floor. It was taking too much energy for her to sit up and the floor was feeling so nice and cool against her face right now. It was keeping her from getting dizzy.

"Yeah," she murmured as she turned her head to face the screen—her face still plastered to the ground.

"Oh," said Shaya as 'she' tried her best to keep her fingers from stroking Kagome's long obsidian tresses. Inuyasha swallowed nervously and then tried to get lost in the movie again. Anything to keep him from thinking about his roommate and what he wanted to do with her and how she would look nude, laying on the bed in front of him… _Bad hanyou…Stop it…_

Inuyasha stared at the television screen and became fascinated with the next scene. He marveled at how the supposed porn scene between the two roommates became a love scene. The boy and girl were making love—they weren't just having sex. Unfortunately, the two supposed porn stars didn't realize that they were both in love with each other. It took a lot of heartache before the two reconciled by the end of the movie.

Kagome sighed when the movie was over. "I...I can't believe those two!"

"Why?" returned Sango who was teetering on the edge of the futon's platform.

"Should of…should of told each other the truth—that they loved each other. It was so…so sad when they didn't know the truth." Kagome's lips started to tremble. "I hate sad," she mumbled as a few tears ran down her cheeks and pooled onto the floor near her face. Kagome still hadn't managed to pull her face off the floor. She seemed glued to the ground.

Within a heartbeat, Inuyasha pulled Kagome up and had his arms wrapped around her shoulders to support her. His calloused thumbs swept up against her wet cheeks and wiped away the tears. "Hey roomy, no need to cry, please. I hate to see you crying, Kagome."

Kagome looked up at Shaya, and a slow smile crept across her face. "You know, you look like Inuyasha," she said dreamily.

"I do?" whispered Shaya as her eyes widened.

"Mmm, hummm," murmured Kagome as her silly grin continued and her head lolled to one side and then the other.

"So!" declared Kori as she stood up to the center of the room. "How about some truth or dare, girls?"

"Sa…sure!" acceded Kagome as she tried to raise her limp arm in a show of agreement.

"Can't hurt," shrugged Sango.

"I'm in!" Ayame agreed.

"OK, we'll start with Kagome," said Kori with a smile.

Kagome looked up to Kori with a blissful smile of ignorance plastered on her face.

"I want everyone to answer the question, 'Who would you make a porno with?' And it has to be someone you know!'"

"Wha…what?!" responded Sango as her eyes bugged out of their sockets. "You mean I can't say 'Brad Pitt' or something?"

Kori chuckled and covered his face with one hand to keep from laughing too hard. "The rules are you have to name someone you want to have sex with that you know! OK. Kagome, who would you make a porno with…?" Kori raised her black manicured eyebrow and gazed at the girl with her penetrating blue eyes.

Kagome looked around the room with bleary eyes until they rested on the ears perched on Shaya's head. "I…I'd want Inu-Ya-sha," she said while giggling.

"What?!" sputtered Shaya as she nearly spilled the contents of her sake cup.

"Yeah," responded Kagome as she continued to gaze at Shaya's ears. "I'd start by licking his cute puppy ears and then I'd…"

"Go on," encouraged Kori with a devilish smirk on her face.

"Then I'd run ma-my fingers down his chest. Hic," she said dreamily. "I'd slowly take off his clothes. When he's naked I'd start to lick and nibble on his chest and make my way down…"

Shaya's face was starting to turn a lovely shade of crimson as Kagome continued to describe exactly how she would handle the hanyou if she were asked to star with him in a porno. Unfortunately, the images that were presented to Inuyasha's mind were overwhelming and he found himself reacting. It was a good thing that 'Little Tessaiga' was concealed, otherwise someone would have noticed a tent in his pajama bottoms by now.

When Kagome was done, Kori's eyes flicked to Shaya's. "Oh no, no way," responded the hanyou girl. "I'm not telling."

"Come on," responded Sango. "I'm sure it's a cute guy. You can tell us!"

Inuyasha blanched at the thought. _It's no fucking guy. It's a girl. _He looked at his roommate that was nearly passed out on his lap. _It would be Kagome._ "I'll take the dare!" Shaya added as she crossed her arms in front of her ample bosom.

Kori's eye's glimmered with mischievousness. "Then, I dare you to kiss your roommate!"

Shaya's eyes widened and his heart couldn't help but to accelerate when he thought about doing the deed. _My lips touching Kagome's…? Would she allow it?_

"Hey, Kags!" Sango yelled out.

"Hmm," murmured Kagome listlessly as she slumped onto the floor next to Shaya.

"Inu-ya-sha is here," said Sango in a singsong voice.

"Wha…what?" answered Kagome as she sat up in panic.

"And he wants to kiss you…" added Sango with syrupy sweetness in her voice.

"Really?" asked Kagome incredulously. Swaying dangerously, she looked around in search of the said hanyou. "Where?"

"He's right there," answered Sango as she pointed to Shaya and fell over in a fit of giggles.

Kagome stared at Shaya with a look of perplexity. She cocked her head to the side and then moved closer to Shaya as if trying to discern exactly who the person was that was sitting next to her. Her drunken state made her look like a small child who was trying to solve a complex riddle.

Inuyasha started to blush again. Sango was making fun of him. There was no way that Kagome would think that Shaya was Inuyasha. _She couldn't possibly be that drunk!_

Kagome's brows furrowed in concentration, and out of nowhere, Inuyasha felt a strange pulse erupt around the girl. There was a tingling sensation against his skin, like the lingering feeling of electricity in the air after a thunderstorm. Whatever the phenomenon was, it was centered on Kagome. It felt like her aura was reaching out to his, touching him and caressing him. It was both soothing and titillating all at once.

He was startled when he heard Kagome speaking to him. Her chocolate eyes widened with yearning as she gazed up at him in adoration. "You're really here," she murmured almost inaudibly, causing the hanyou's ears to perk up in attention. She gasped then and ducked her head down as her cheeks flushed crimson. It wasn't long before slightly dazed chocolate orbs peeked at him shyly from beneath long, dark eyelashes.

"You want to kiss me, Inuyasha?" she whispered with timid awe.

The hanyou looked at Kagome in confusion. _She really thinks that she can see the real me? She did see me once before, didn't she? At the shrine... Is it happening again?_

"Sure he does!" yelled Kori as she slapped Shaya on the back, which made the hanyou fall forward. Suddenly, Inuyasha found his lips precariously close to Kagome's. He could feel her warm breath fanning over his lips.

Kagome's warm brown eyes found his golden orbs; desperation and longing swept over her features. Suddenly, her lips moved forward to press against his. At the contact, a surge of energy swept over him and made his skin goose bump as every centimeter of his body tingled.

Inuyasha couldn't stop the onslaught as Kagome's body fell upon his, her lips pressed firmly against his, her tongue pushing between his lips and asking for entrance. He couldn't help but to part his lips and let her in. Her fingers found one of his ears and caressed the sensitive appendage as he moaned. Her other hand snaked around his neck, bringing him more forcefully against her warm, electrical body. Her mouth both begged him to meet her while she forcefully tried to take control.

He had wanted Kagome for so long; she had been teasing him—albeit unconsciously—since the moment he stepped into her dorm room. Now he was allowed to kiss her? And even more amazingly, she was the one to initiate it?

Abruptly, all of the shock left his body as his youkai responded to a human female trying to be the one in charge. His own aura reacted to hers and he felt a sizzling sensation wherever their bodies touched. Wherever her fingers, lips, tongue, or skin met his body, it was like a stimulating electrical current had swept between them.

He couldn't help his reaction to her soft, pliant body that was moving against his. The surges of their conflicting auras and the way her energy sent trails of fire down his skin caused his already engorged flesh to stiffen. Inuyasha gasped as he felt her warm body pressing up against his hardness. Electrical energy erupted as the concave area between her legs fit snuggly against his shaft. Her warmth slid up against him and the friction only increased his desire—her proximity was pushing his sanity further and further away.

Shaya growled. It was bizarre to hear such a deep rumble from a woman's bosom as he pushed Kagome back onto her futon—his hard body covering hers. His mouth sought hers with as much passion as she had been seeking his. Their auras entwined and meshed. Sparks caressed their skin as Inuyasha started to trace his hands down her neck. He wanted to touch every part of her body. He needed to get her damned clothes off, because it was interfering with his desire for skin on skin contact.

"Two girls getting it on!" cried out Kori in glee. "Man, this is hot!"

"Whoah!" yelled Ayame as she giggled. "You two can't make a porno here! I know you're roommates. But hey, you're too drunk." The wolf demoness giggled.

Shaya's eyes widened when he realized that other people in a room surrounded him and that his body was pressed so sweetly against Kagome's soft, mesmerizing form. When he had kissed Kagome, he had felt like there was no one else in the world but his miko. He could get lost in her magical touch. If he had been given a few seconds longer, he knew that he would have been touching her luscious breasts or cupping her silky ass. Shaya's lips regretfully left Kagome's as he pulled his body away from her. Their auras seemed to grasp at each other one last time, sparking and licking the charged air between them before they seemed to drop in defeat. The energy against Kagome's skin sputtered as her eyes drifted close, happiness suffused her features.

Inuyasha was stumped. _What had just happened?_ He sat back dumbstruck. _I never thought kisses were supposed to feel like that! And Kagome thought I was Inuyasha, not Shaya? Did she really see me? Wait a second?_ Suddenly Inuyasha put two and two together. _Kagome wanted to kiss me? And with such passion? She's got to like the real me! The guy she had a crush on…was it me all along?_

Inuyasha pulled back to look at the girl he had thoroughly kissed. Her lips seemed fuller than normal. They were puffy and red, kissable… Her obsidian hair was tossed wildly onto the white futon and her eyes fluttered close in bliss.

"Inu-ya-sha," she murmured while her fingers touched her lips. Then, the girl turned over on her futon and brought her legs up to her chest. Within moments he heard the soft sighs of sleep coming from her lips.

"Wow!" Kori yelled out. "I didn't know you had it in you, Sha-yah!"

"Shut up, wolf-shit," responded Shaya as she suddenly felt embarrassed for putting on a public display of lesbian affection.

Kori only grinned while Shaya huffed and did his best to ignore his buddy's pointed stare. Soon, the game of truth or dare started up again and he was relieved that he had already taken Kouga's dare, a dare that had allowed him to truly kiss Kagome for the very first time. _Maybe I owe wolf-shit some thanks? _Inuyasha looked over at his buddy who was talking suggestively to the girls and leering down Ayame's low cut pajama top. _Then again, maybe not..._

Shaya tugged at the braid that Kagome had plaited before the pajama party had begun. He remembered her hands in his hair, brushing and stroking. In a bizarre fashion it had calmed him and surprisingly, it made him happy. It didn't matter how she touched him, he almost lived for those brief moments of contact. _Like the kiss we just shared…_

He risked a glance at Kagome while the other girls seemed distracted. He grasped the bottom edge of the futon cover and then gently pulled it up over her sleepy form. The miko sighed and shifted slightly. A subtle smile curved at the corners of her rosy lips. "Inu…ya…sha," she mumbled to herself as she allowed the warmth that surrounded her to seep into her frame. Even in a room with the lights on and with several girls chattering, she was dead to the world.

Shaya didn't know whether to frown or to grin. He brought up the edge of the blanket to tuck it under her chin. While doing so he couldn't help but to place an errant lock of hair behind her ear. Her hair was soft and silky, just like her lips. He rubbed the curls in his clawed fingers before he let go and let the hair drop again next to her peaceful countenance.

He gazed down at the girl that he had fallen in love with, the girl who he realized seemed to have a crush on Inuyasha, the girl who was his roommate and the girl who didn't know that he was really a guy. He groaned at the thought. Then, the dull babble of the room started to filter into his senses again. It was amazing how much he could ignore when he was gazing at Kagome. Sometimes the rest of the world just faded away and it was only the two of them.

Apparently, the question had gotten around to Kori now and she was telling everyone about the guy that she would make a porno with.

"Yeah, Kouga's this hot wolf demon," she said as she winked at Ayame. "You'd think he was super sexy."

Ayame rolled her eyes and concluded, "From what you've been telling me, he's a real man whore. Pffft!" The girl quickly dismissed the thought, leaving Kori stunned for a brief moment before she continued on from where she left off, trying to regale the women in the room about Kouga of the wolf demon tribe.

When the question was passed onto Ayame, Inuyasha was expecting her to stutter and to do anything but admit that she would like to make a porno with someone she knew. However, the only person who was more astounded was Kouga when she calmly told everyone with an attitude of dismissal. "I'd make a porno with my boyfriend of course," she added as she quirked her eyebrow at the dazed and partially inebriated crowd.

"Boy…friend?" murmured Kori in absolute astonishment. It had never even crossed his mind that Ayame might have a boyfriend. She had never mentioned him, but he quickly realized that he had smelled a peculiar, and in his opinion, disgusting scent from her dorm room bed the first week he was there. It was a smell that clashed with her natural cinnamon fragrance and had made her seem positively repulsive the first week.

_Is that it? Do I smell her boyfriend? _For some reason, a very irrational anger took over him. _She is my roommate!_ So what if he had been trying to get laid with his little lipstick lesbian? He just needed to get his dick wet. _Ayame shouldn't be hooking up with anyone. It just wasn't right. In fact, it's downright disgusting!_ Kori soon looked very similar to a disgruntled Shaya with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

Ayame just hummed in response and took another shot of sake before she looked pointedly at Sango.

The girl simply waved her arms. "Oh, I am not answering that one!"

The red-haired wolf demoness simply rolled her eyes. "Then we have to give you a dare," she said with a lazy smile.

Kori perked up for just enough time to suggest that Sango streak around their dorm room in the dead of the night.

The girl's eyes widened. "You mean with no clothes on?" questioned Sango as her resolve for not answering the earlier question started to fade.

Kouga simply smirked. _Damn, if I'm not going to get any, at least I can see it. Ayame won't even let me see her naked._

Sango looked at the sake bottle and asked for another drink. After downing two more shots in quick succession, she motioned for the other girls to follow her outside of the dorms.

Shaya only stared at the girls in astonishment as the pajama party started to trail out of the room.

Kori arched an eyebrow at Shaya. "Don't you want to see the peep show, Shaya?" she asked with the barest hint of mischievousness to her voice.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his buddy. "No, thanks. I need to keep an eye on Kagome." He couldn't help but to give his obviously sexually repressed friend a little ribbing. "Besides, I'd rather see Kagome's naked body and she shows it off so nicely to me every day." He couldn't help it; an impish grin broke out across his features.

Kori's smile faltered at the reminder. "Damned mutt," she muttered.

"You're just jealous," added Shaya as she gazed down at her angelic roommate and her bare leg that peeked out from under the covers. He heard the door slam and then got up to lock it and to turn off the lights.

He sat down on the futon next to Kagome once more. Her small hands were folded under her chin and she looked so beautiful under the faint moonlight that filtered in past the gossamer curtains. He couldn't help but to stroke another lock of her ebony strands before he left to settle into his futon.

It was harder for him to fall asleep as he touched his mouth again and remembered their heated exchange on her futon. He had tasted her for the first time. He could still savor the jasmine on his lips and as much as he wanted to deny it, he wanted nothing more than to try it again.

* * *

The edges of Sesshoumaru's lips curved down into a subtle frown as he walked into the Seventh Heaven establishment. His wary golden eyes steadily took in the smoky atmosphere around him. Passing around the corners of his vision were scantily clad women who were wearing only a G-string or a short kimono that left little to the imagination. However, the majority of the people in the club were men and a few of the women who stood by the sidelines, ogling the flesh that surrounded them like ripe fruit they wanted to eat.

_Disgusting humans._ He was the vice president of one of the largest corporations in Japan. He would never deign to enter something so vile, especially a place owned by Naraku. The air was what irritated him the most. His demonic senses reeled at the stink of the acid smoke, the putrid smell of sweaty, oiled bodies and the overpoweringly sweet scent of hard liquor.

As his eyes scanned the perimeter, he didn't see anyone who would meet his stoic gaze. _Perhaps he hasn't arrived yet?_

His face only held an emotionless mask as he turned to a table near the dancer's main walkway. He wiped off the hard wooden seat with a flick of his wrist before he sat down gracefully.

Within seconds, a nearly naked woman with long blonde curls walked in front of him, her skin was oiled and she only wore a thin black thong. Her shiny breasts bobbed in front of him and she tried to give him a smile that he was sure was supposed to be interpreted as sexy. He nearly cringed at her scent; she smelled like trash that had been festering in the sun.

She ran her finger under his chin and tried to run it down the front of his double-breasted suit. "How about it honey, want a lap dance?" she said coyly as she tried to move even closer to him.

Steel fingers grabbed hold of her hand and twisted her arm away from him.

"This Sesshoumaru does not like to be touched. Be sure to tell the other girls to stay away from me," he said in icy tones as amber orbs glared at her. He had better things to do tonight than to let some stinky, human whore touch him. He pushed her aside.

There was a time long ago, when he wouldn't have even considered being intimate with anyone unless she was a full-fledged demoness. For some reason, sanity went by the wayside when he had met Rin.

It had been his senior year in college and he had been attending a demon-only fraternity event. He had never deigned to mix with humans. They smelled funny, they had limited lifespans and they simply weren't in his league. It was during one of these drunken Greek mixers that another rival fraternity insulted his father for mating with a human female. He still remembered the utter outrage he felt. No one ever insulted his father or the Takahashi name—no one. He cursed the demon who insulted him and made several allusions about the demon's mother's mating habits with numerous other youkai. It wasn't his finest moment, but then he was horribly drunk and they had insulted his father. It wasn't until he left the party, that he realized his insults about the demon's mother were not going to remain unanswered.

He was blindly attacked by a group of more than ten demons in an alleyway on Greek Row. He had done a good job defending himself, considering that he was drunk and horribly overwhelmed. When it was done, Sesshoumaru was left as a bloody, almost unrecognizable figure in the dank lane.

It was there that a freshman girl named Rin found him. He remembered the scent of waterfalls that washed over his senses. It was soothing, even though he was in abject pain. Somehow she had called out to her friends and shortly thereafter he had been moved and attended.

He really didn't remember the following hours, but he did recall finally awakening to a beautiful, petite, doe-eyed girl with shoulder-length brown hair. Her gaze was of concern as she finished bandaging his shoulder. She was lovely, but it was her scent that mesmerized him and he had never been the same since. He even abdicated his position as president of his all-demon fraternity because they wouldn't allow a human like Rin to visit him.

He snorted. His fellow Greeks had never bothered to help him after he had been attacked, but Rin had been there for him. For the next four years, she was always at his side, and to his surprise, he found that he relished her presence and attentions. He had even planned on mating with her once she graduated from college.

However, she had disappeared shortly after the death of her father. She had vanished like a dream that fades when you wake in the morning. For two years, he had private investigators scour the city and eventually every prefecture in Japan looking for her, but nothing had come up. That is, until he had received a phone call earlier that morning telling him that Rin had been found and that he was to meet his contact here.

He didn't know what to make of the phone call. It could easily have been a prank call, but how did the man know his private cell phone number? He only gave that number out to family members and close associates. Everyone else had to go through his secretary at the corporation.

It was puzzling, and Sesshoumaru did not like puzzles that he could not solve. As he cogitated a lingering scent took hold of his senses. It was something so minute, so faint, that only a dog demon with his incredible sense of smell could detect.

"Rin," he whispered before he could stop the word from leaving his mouth. The smell of fresh, cool streams cascading over rocks tickled his senses. His eyes widened and a hope that he had been repressing for two years swelled in his chest. _She's here somewhere!_

He moved with graceful speed to the employee entrance, where the girl's scent seemed to linger. He sniffed and noticed that the trail had gotten stale. She was somewhere on the other side of that door. He moved his poisoned talons next to the doorknob that said, 'Employees Only' and was prepared to melt off the knob if it was locked.

Then, behind him, her fragrance wafted over him. She was nearby and behind him somewhere. He quickly turned and tried to get his bearings. The dog demon was trying to ascertain exactly where she was; he knew she was close by. However, her scent was obscured by smoke, sweat, oil and the stench of warm, fetid smelling bodies.

Sesshoumaru heard an announcement over the speakers. "And why don't you give a round of applause for the walking sex queen, the woman who only wears feather boas—let's hear it for—the Lady of the West!"

_Lady of the West?_ Sesshoumaru had been in charge of the Takahashi Corporation's Western division. It had been a little in-joke between him and Rin. He had always referred to her as being his 'Lady of the West.'

The hoots and yells that permeated the atmosphere of the club grew exponentially. Apparently, this was the main act of the evening. A feeling of dire horror swept over him as he both dreaded and desired to see the lady who was supposed to be the next strip tease artist.

Her scent then became stronger, enveloping him in fragrant waves. As her scent wafted over him he finally saw her elfin-like form that walked coldly and proudly across the stage. She was wearing white leather stilettos and her bare form was wrapped in fluffy, white feather boas. One long boa was trailing along behind her, flowing and slithering with her determined movements.

Music started to boom and vibrate through the club.

_She was pure like snowflakes_

_No one could ever stain_

_The memory of my angel_

_Could never cause me pain_

Rin's umber orbs were icy and twinkling against the bright lights as she started to pull one feathery boa from her shoulder exposing one creamy shoulder to everyone in the room. Suddenly the howls and crackles that had surrounded him increased in volume. He pressed his lips together in a thin line.

_My blood runs cold_

_My memory has just been sold_

_My angel is the centerfold_

_Angel is the centerfold_

_No, she can't do this. Why is she doing this? Didn't I give her everything she wanted? Didn't she know…_

Sesshoumaru looked up at the stage, and his once calm and cool amber eyes connected with her dew brown ones. All at once Rin's cold facade cracked like a mirror splintering into a million pieces. Her icy eyes grew warm and a deep blush flushed all over her body.

Then horror erupted from Sesshoumaru's face—horror and denial. There is no way his lady would resort to stripping like a common whore.

_A part of me has just been ripped_

_The pages from my mind are stripped_

_Oh no, I can't deny it_

Rin's face flushed with happiness until her face melted into utter dismay, mortification and embarrassment. The white boa that she had let drop was now hastily pulled back over her shoulder. She gazed at Sesshoumaru beseechingly—her eyes begging him to understand.

But he didn't understand. Why would she abandon him and the luxuries that he had given her to live her life like a common whore? His eyes closed and when he reopened them his golden gaze was bitterly cold and distant. Rin's eyes widened and she shook her head as if to deny what she had just seen.

Sesshoumaru sneered at her in unreserved disapproval. He almost snarled before he stalked out of the club with cold disdain.

The stripper on the stage was dumbstruck as the overpowering lights beat down on her, the music pulsed and the crowd yelled at her to show more skin.

Bankoutsu walked out onto the stage and moved behind Rin. He whispered in her ear, trying to look like he was seducing his employee. He growled menacingly, "You will continue to strip. I don't care what your issue is. Get it done and do it now!" He smiled coldly at her and kissed her on the cheek before leaving her alone on the stage.

It seemed like a wall of ice had swallowed up Rin. Her face became cool and unflappable. Her eyes were once again frosted over and she continued her dance—dropping another feather boa on the floor and exposing a wide swath of her creamy thigh to the screaming crowd.

_It's okay, I understand_

_This ain't no never-never land_

_My angel is the centerfold_

_Angel is the centerfold_

_**

* * *

The Next Chapter:**__ Chapter 10: 'I Kissed a Girl.' It is about 90% done at the moment. There's one more scene that must be written and another scene that needs to be changed. All we can say is that this will be a pivotal chapter and (for the authors) a very fun chapter to write. Ai has been working on the next chapter for months now! :-)_

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Special thanks go to Alpine for suggesting the movie we used in this chapter, 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'. We thought that movie would just be deviously funny to include._

_#2: Ai Kisugi and Karaumea both think that Brad Pitt is hot. Sorry… _

_#3: 'Moshi, moshi' is used by the Japanese to say hello' when you talk on the telephone._

_#4: Medical masks are worn all the time in Japan. If you have a cold or any other respiratory infection you are supposed to wear a medical mask until you get better. You will see them worn all the time in public places._

_#5: You can buy alcohol from vending machines in Japan. So young teenagers can easily obtain alcohol. The legal drinking age in Japan is 20, but they are not as uptight about carding people as we are in the US._

_#6: As far as Sango's answer to the question, 'Who do you know that you'd make a porno with?'—she would have answered, 'Miroku.' However, she has too much pride to ever admit to anyone that she lusts or even loves the monk. She'd rather streak around the dormitory at night than to let anyone know how she really felt._

_#7: Happosai is the resident elderly, letch in 'Ranma 1/2.' He specializes in stealing women's undergarments and has a penchant for wearing a bra over his head. We know it's a little unbelievable, but we were keeping Happosai strictly 'in character.'_


	10. I Kissed a Girl

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_**Warnings:** Limey goodness between a guy and a girl. However, you have been warned that due to the spell on Inuyasha observers will be seeing a limey yuri. Reality and illusion will contradict.  
**~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~*  
**Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger, SplendentGoddess and Theleb K'aarna!_

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_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea_

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Music used in this chapter: _Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl', http :// www . youtube . com / watch?v=tAp9BKosZXs  
_~~~oo0oo~~~

**Chapter 10: I Kissed a Girl**

As the loud music blasted from the speakers, Inuyasha's eyes were drawn to the rearview mirror for perhaps the hundredth time since they left the school grounds. He snickered at the sight again before returning his attention to the road. He'd been too preoccupied to think about it before, but now that he was speeding through the streets of Tokyo, he realized how much he missed his car. Miroku's Lexus was a nice car, but it wasn't his baby, after all. He had been positively surprised when the lecher parked in front of the dorms, claiming to be their ride for the night. But of course, the hanyou was not one to let someone else drive if he was going to be in the car. It had been rather easy to claim the steering wheel. One shove to the lecher in the direction of the girls sitting huddled in the back seat and Miroku did not even protest. That is, until they finalized the seating arrangements.

Taking a sharp turn, Inuyasha glanced once more at the mirror to see that Kori's disgusted gaze was boring holes into the back of Miroku's head while the resident pervert pouted in his seat on the wolf demon's lap. Clearly, Miroku didn't like being on top, and the hanyou knew for a fact that Kouga preferred his bitches submissive. A soft chuckle escaped his lips at the cost of his friends' discomfort. Kagome gave him a questioning look from the passenger seat, and he just shrugged in response and stole another glance at the 'happy' couple. Catching onto the source of his mirth, Kagome giggled. She obviously found Miroku's disappointment amusing. _If only she knew the rest of it…_

A few minutes later, they came to a halt in front of their destination. While the occupants of the back seat exited the car, a valet approached the driver's side of the vehicle. Inuyasha threw him a nasty glare, effectively stopping the man at a safe distance. Once he was alone with Kagome, he took off toward the parking lot located at the back of the large building. If he didn't look at his image in the mirror, he could pretend that they were on a date. She was being awfully silent, but that didn't bother him. Even though he loved hearing her melodic voice, he didn't need to fill in the silence. His girl was sitting close in a seat beside him, and he felt at peace.

His happiness was short-lived, though. No matter how slow he drove, the distance was too short for his liking. Pocketing the keys and dreading having to share Kagome's attention with the rest of the group for the remainder of the night, he followed her out of the car. As they paced toward the front of the building, he could feel the tension building up in him. His hand was tingling, itching to capture hers and hold on tightly. As fun as it was, his fantasy of dating the girl of his dreams was doing a number on him. He clenched his fist when the miko's fingers accidentally brushed his. He didn't think she would appreciate her very feminine looking roommate making a move on her—especially not after the pajama party last night. He gulped at the memory of her soft lips on his and her giving body under his hard form.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha started fuming as they waited in line at the 'Lexington Queen' in the Roppongi Hills section of downtown Tokyo. All the lusty looks that were thrown their way were getting on his nerves. Kouga had come up with the idea for all of the 'girls' to dance at the nightclub after he found out that Ayame's family knew the owners and could get them in without any ID. He knew that Kouga was only here to get laid. But Inuyasha had decided long ago that if Kagome was going to be seen out in public—that he would be by her side. _No fucker's going to get close to Kagome. Other than me…_ Inuyasha grinned silently at his pledge.

The hanyou looked down at his roommate and smiled at her. Shiny, ebony locks fanned past her shoulders and over the back of the pink spaghetti strap top she wore. A red mini skirt hugged the curves of her lovely bottom, sending his imagination into overdrive.

Inuyasha tried not to look at Kagome with anything other than a friendly smile, but it was getting pretty hard to pretend after he had finally tasted her the night before. On her very futon, he had laid on top of her soft form, participating in a very electric kiss that had made every centimeter of his body react. He tried not to think about their public make-out session; leering at his female roommate would probably make her uncomfortable. Besides, it seemed that the girl had no idea that she had even kissed Shaya. The only clue that he had that she even remembered their heated embrace was that she had asked the following morning if Inuyasha had been around last night.

His cheeks had flushed pink, but he really didn't know how to answer her. _Yes, I was there last night and I still am!_ But instead, he mumbled that she had mentioned something to the girls about wanting to kiss Inuyasha. Kagome had only touched her lips as her mouth formed an 'O,' and her cheeks had taken on a lovely shade of pink, which had made the hanyou's pants more uncomfortable than her nakedness ever had. Nothing further was said about the subject, though he was a little worried that Kouga would embarrass the two of them with some ribbing.

Shaya crossed her arms and tapped a clawed nail against her bronzed skin. She was finally distracted from her brooding when Kagome gently pushed Shaya's shoulder to move her ahead in the line. They waited at the front of the roped-off line for the dance club bouncer to allow them in. The burly man wore a devilish grin as he eyed the two girls.

"Do you have ID's girls?" asked the man as his eyes raked their forms up and down. The raven-haired girl was pretty and she would be a cute bundle to touch. However, the hanyou girl with waist-length silver hair was a goddess. The voluptuous girl was every man's dream with her tight, low slung jeans that rode under her waist and her white wife beater that clung to breasts unconstrained by a bra. He looked between the sinful top and jeans to see a swath of tanned skin and a delicious belly button.

Inuyasha could only grip his hands together in a fist. It was completely unnerving to have a guy checking him out—and thinking that he was a girl. It just made him angry, and all he felt was the need to hit something.

Kagome answered. "We're with Kita, Ayame's party," she added with a quick smile.

His eyes continued to look over the two girls, and Inuyasha had the sinking feeling that he was undressing them both with his eyes. "Ayame's friends?" The man smiled ruefully as he lifted up the blue velvet rope and let the two girls walk in. He had wanted to try to see if he could get a kiss out of one of those girls in exchange for entrance, but he knew better than to mess with any friends of the Kita wolf clan.

Inuyasha felt the man's eyes on their backsides as they walked past him. He felt so unnerved and couldn't get past the need to hit something; preferably the pervert who was checking them out.

When he felt that he was no longer in the bouncer's gaze, he glared at any guy who dared to look at Kagome. He felt a smattering of eyes looking at them and he bristled in annoyance.

Kori was leaning across the bar, holding a frosty Asahi beer in her hand. Once his buddy and Kagome made it to the bar, eyes were automatically drawn to the two hot chicks that had arrived. Kouga felt nauseous. _Inuyasha, a hot chick…?_ His bored gaze looked upon Inuyasha's barely contained anger as the hanyou stared furiously at every man who looked his way. _Damn, I'm never going to tell him that most of the guys are gazing lustfully at him and not Kagome. _

Kori frowned in annoyance and took another swig of her beer. _Tonight is the night. If I can't get laid as a sexy chick, in a bar in downtown Tokyo, then it'll never happen. I just need to find a hot lesbian gal. Damn, I had so many fantasies about banging a dyke._ Kori just grinned as her fantasy played out in her mind. She stared into her beer glass and didn't notice a demonic presence casually sauntering toward her.

Kori put her drink down on the tabletop as her bored gaze looked at the guy who was making a beeline to her. _I'll just need to tell off this asshole. _She smirked to herself.

Just as she was about to get rid of the man who was getting far too close to her personal space, someone bumped into her. Kori felt momentarily disoriented as some drunken jerk barreled right into her side. Just as she tried to flail out her hands in an attempt to balance herself, a pair of masculine hands grabbed her waist and held her upright. Then, the man had the audacity to push her form up against his. Kouga felt so nauseated that his hard, flat chest was pressing against another one.

Kori just looked wide-eyed at the man in front of her, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. She was so close that she could see his sharp demon-like teeth and the long black hair that was swept over his shoulders. He was staring down at Kori's low-cut V-necked blue top that exposed almost every inch of 'her' busty bosom. Suddenly, Kori decided that wearing a skintight top and low slung leather pants might not have been the best idea. _But I wanted a dyke to notice me! _For some reason he had never anticipated that it wasn't just the fairer sex that he'd be attracting.

"The girls always fall for me," the man murmured as he gathered Kori's hands in his and looked from her cleavage to her bright blue eyes.

"Get the fuck away from me, you pervert!" yelled the wolf demoness as she shoved away her would-be savior. Kouga tried not to blanch at the man in front of him, who seemed to not want to take no for an answer.

The tall black-haired man gazed back at Kori with doe brown eyes. "Is that how you address a man who just kept you from falling flat on your face?"

"You bet the fuck it is!" shrieked Kori in a voice that was unfortunately a little too feminine. "Now keep away from me."

The man in front of him simply grinned mischievously at the girl. "Oh, I love it when they play hard to get. See you around, love!" The man winked at him and then strolled away humming a tune.

Kori just shook her head and huffed in annoyance. _At least he's not as bad as those guys at Seventh Heaven._

"Oi! Kori!" Kouga turned to see Shaya and Kagome making their way over to the bar. Kori gave Kagome the most brilliant smile that he could as he grasped Kagome's hands in his. "You look lovely tonight, Kagome."

Unfortunately for him, Kagome only saw it as a friendly gesture of a fellow girlfriend. Kagome just cocked her head and looked over his clothing. She noted the tight blue top and snug leather pants that Kori wore. "Wow, girl," responded Kagome. "You look hot! Are you trying to get some guy's attention?"

Kouga simply blanched, and his bottom lip quivered. Before he could stop it, images of the previous night and how he ended up with a lesbian who was more masculine than feminine vividly appeared in his mind. "No, no I'm not," added Kori as she looked appalled at Kagome.

Kagome only looked at her fellow dorm mate quizzically and then turned to her roommate. Seeing the two standing next to each other smiling only made Kouga recall the hot lesbian action that he had the good fortune to view last night.

"So Kagome," drawled out Kori as she winked at Shaya. Kouga noticed that Inuyasha visibly tensed and gripped Kagome's forearms a little tighter than he should have.

"Yes," replied Kagome as she cocked her head with a friendly smile.

"So, how does it feel to make-out with your roommate?" added the wolf demon as he smirked.

"Kori, just shut the fuck up!" demanded Shaya. She pulled her arms away from Kagome and glared furiously at his buddy.

But Kouga was Kouga. He wanted to rib his friend, especially after his less than sympathetic reaction to Yura trying to make him her bitch, and nothing was going to stop him now.

Kagome simply looked back and forth between the two in confusion. Her eyes clearly starting to display some distress at what was left unsaid.

"Kagome, you were all over Shaya last night, kissing her into oblivion and then…" Kori laughed.

"I said, shut the fuck up!" yelled Shaya at her buddy.

Kagome swallowed nervously and looked at Shaya in dismay. "When I dreamed about kissing Inuyasha, it was you?" she murmured in total disbelief.

Shaya only turned to look at her with eyes of sympathy. The hanyou girl's golden orbs lingered on Kagome's chocolate brown ones before Inuyasha gave her a curt nod.

The miko only gasped in absolute surprise as her hand wandered to the nearby bar to steady her form.

Inuyasha turned around to glower angrily at his friend. "We'll talk about this later, asshole. Thanks for screwing this up!" Shaya then turned to walk over to Kagome and spoke to her softly.

For some reason, the beer Kouga was holding was looking even more appetizing and he chugged half of the beer with one swig.

"But honeycakes, I didn't mean to…" pleaded Miroku as he trailed Sango to the bar. His face was sporting a red mark.

"Don't you 'honeycakes' me," sputtered Sango as she tried to weave her way out of Miroku's grasp. "You think it's perfectly fine to grope any girl's butt, and I'm sick of it. Get the hell away from me, you pervert!"

"You know that your luscious bottom is the only one I want," beseeched Miroku. He stared at Sango with his amethyst eyes. For any observer who did not know the monk-in-training, he seemed to be utterly sincere. Sango, for some reason, thought otherwise.

It looked like a vein was going to pop on Sango's forehead. She nearly screamed her rebuttal. "Get your grabby hands away from me, or so help me, your balls will be at the receiving end of my spiked heel!"

Miroku seemed to know that he had been defeated. "Yes, dearest honeycakes. I'll just walk over there." Miroku motioned to a dark corner of the club. "Until you regain your senses and we can make up." The wanna-be monk kissed the air centimeters from her lips before he quickly ran to the far side of the club.

Sango was fuming. "Gah!" she screamed. Her arms shot up in the air. "Men!" The miko's best friend paused to take in the utter stupefaction that had overcome Kagome's features. She gauged the her friend's apparent need before suggesting, "I need a drink, Kags. You in?"

Kagome looked between Sango and her roommate, who seemed oddly out of place. "Sure, I could use a drink," was all the miko muttered as she waved down the bartender.

"What do you think you're doing?" whispered Shaya into Kagome's ear.

She turned to him and gave him the most bitter, crooked smile. "No guy wants me, and I couldn't even get my first kiss right. I'm so sorry, Shaya. I can't believe I put you through that. Now just let me drown in my misery."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Shaya tried to explain as he saw the bartender setting out five shot glasses in front of each girl. Kagome just waved her hand at him, as if he had just been dismissed.

The bartender then grabbed a frosted blue bottle of sake and poured a smooth flow of liquid so that each glass held the requisite amount of sake.

"Kanpai!" said Sango as she raised her glass to Kagome.

"Kanpai," the miko joined. She raised her glass high, closed her eyes and then poured the liquid down her throat in one gulp. The girl shuddered as the liquid burned on the way down.

Inuyasha was starting to become concerned. "Kagome!" he muttered in absolute disapproval. "Drinking is no way to solve this!"

His roommate eyed him warily. "I just need a little break, that's all," the girl answered as she lifted her next glass and gulped it down like the first.

Sango followed suit, and soon, both girls had managed to down five shots of sake each.

Shaya looked at Kagome with apprehension, and Kori grinned widely. For some reason, Kouga was feeling pretty good. He had only drunk two beers, but he already felt a warm buzz descending throughout his body.

The wolf demon elbowed his hanyou companion. "Now's the time for us to make our moves, while they're drunk!"

Shaya's eyes widened to comical proportions before she huffed and shoved Kori back. "I'm not like that, Kouga," the girl murmured with venom.

Inuyasha found his way over to his roommate's side. "Kagome, I think you've had enough," he said with a frown. He took the shot glass out of Kagome's fingers and placed it back down on the bar.

"Shaya, I just needed a little…release," added Kagome. The miko tried to smile at her roommate, but her smile faltered at the edges and tipped down into a frown. "Guys don't like me. They hate me, Shaya." The girl threw her arms out wide and barely managed to avoid hitting a couple behind her. "Rejected. They all reject me."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha intoned as he put his hand under the girl's chin. "What are you talking about? You're beautiful. If any guy can't see that he's..."

The raven-haired girl pouted and moved Shaya's hand away. "Yeah, you said it before. But, Inuyasha doesn't like me... Hojo doesn't like me… I'm just a walking guy repellent!"

"Kagome, you're being an idiot," fumed the hanyou.

"Am I?" The girl's fiery eyes seemed like molten umber as she gazed directly into Shaya's honeyed eyes. It only took a second for Kagome to realize that her anger was misplaced. Shaya's warm eyes spoke of nothing but concern. "I'm…I'm sorry," she muttered as she wiped away a tear that was starting to form with her wrist. "It's just…" Her eyes were suddenly fixated on something on the dance floor.

"Just what, Kagome?" questioned Inuyasha as his eyes followed the miko's gaze.

The two friends looked on in amazement at two girls who were dancing erotically next to each other. It seemed that they had the attention of almost everyone on the dance floor, especially the men that surrounded them.

"Shaya?" asked Kagome even though her eyes were still staring at the two girls who were gyrating next to each other. "Would you do that with me?" she said while pointing at the two girls who were dancing together.

_Hell yeah! _"Um, sure, Kagome," answered Inuyasha. _Any fucking time you want!_

A mischievous gleam lit Kagome's eyes. "We'll have all of the guys looking at us instead. I'm just as attractive. I bet they would think I'm hot!"

_You're hot anyway._ Inuyasha looked at the girls who were touching each other on the dance floor. _But dancing like that with me? This is my lucky day!_ This time it was Shaya who was leading Kagome out to the floor and into the dancing throng.

* * *

Kori eyed the bottom of her beer glass. He was surprised how quickly the alcohol was getting to him. He was a demon. It usually took an entire bottle of sake to get him wasted. Drinking beer to him was like water. _What the hell's going on?_

He looked around him to see Sango asking for yet another shot of sake. _Stupid girl is going to get shit faced. But maybe she'll be so drunk that she won't mind me making a move?_

The wolf demon grinned and then he felt the room spinning. _What the? Why do I feel so…drunk?_

The world around him blurred and slurred into a cacophonous menagerie. He soon felt strong arms holding him up and he quickly thanked whomever it was that was helping him.

"Don't worry about it, love. You can thank me in private," a man murmured into his ear.

Revulsion surged within him and he tried to push the man away who held him. But his arms and legs were like rubber. He couldn't even get his body to obey.

He felt his feet shuffling against the man holding him. He had a hard time focusing, but he could tell that the blaring music was dimming and the crowds were starting to thin out. He felt the cool air of the night against his face. For a brief moment, he sobered and he got a good look at the man holding him upright. It was the same man who had bumped into him earlier.

"Now, girlie. Why don't you thank me properly?" The man smiled deviously and Kouga felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. Impending doom griped his body. But as much as he wanted to scream, kick, fight or simply run away—he couldn't.

"You really don't…" was the only thing he could voice and even those words were nearly inaudible.

The man holding him maneuvered him into a dark alley, and Kouga felt cold bricks shove against his back. He had been thrust up against a wall and the man was nuzzling his neck.

"You smell so lovely," murmured the stranger. "I've never smelled a bitch with a scent as good as yours."

He felt large hands move to touch his neck before they started to glide down to what looked like a pair of bountiful breasts. The man's hands tried to touch something round and soft, but found something hard and muscular.

"What?" the long-haired man in front of him was clearly confused as he watched his hand squeeze a tender globe, but only felt smooth hardness under his hand. "Girl, are you a bodybuilder or something? Is this a push up bra?" The man fiddled with Kori's top and the wolf demon felt the cool night air hitting his bare chest.

The mischievous smirk that had been on the man's lips twisted into confusion. "I see your breasts, but you feel like a…" The man's words paused on his lips as he swallowed nervously and let his hand grope the valley between Kori's thighs. "…a…man?"

Kouga was drugged, but the cold had given him enough lucidity to give his attacker the most evil grin he could manage. His world swirled in front of him, but his wolf nose finally noticed the lovely smell of cinnamon wafting through the damp night air.

"A…Ayame?" he whispered as he saw a reddish blur approach the man holding him.

"Get the fuck away from my friend, asshole!" Strands of copper-colored hair waved in the wind as Kouga felt the man in front of him convulse in pain. Somehow, Ayame had managed to hit the man—hard.

The man tried to turn in order to defend himself and pulled away from his conquest. Kouga slid to the bottom of the wall as he lost his means of support. He looked at the oncoming fight dully. The man who had molested him tried to hit Ayame with a left hook. She easily dodged the blow.

She laughed as she kicked him hard in the jewels. "Bastard! I have two older brothers that I have fought since I was a cub. No pansy like you could ever harm me!"

The man sat moaning on the wet concrete alley. Ayame showed no mercy as she threw a swift kick to his head. If the man had not been a demon, his head would have been dislodged.

Kouga's senses took on a dreamlike quality as he felt Ayame pick him up. She seemed to be carrying him on her back. "I'll have my brothers take care of that fucker!" she seethed. Then, her voice dropped. "I'm so sorry, girl. I swear I'll protect you, and it'll never happen again."

In his fogged brain, Kouga could only think about Ayame, the girl who had saved him. _Kami, I love her…_

The wolf demon finally tried to stop fighting whatever drug had taken hold of his system. He felt safe, protected, and her warm cinnamon scent lulled him into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Wait, wait a second, Shaya," complained Kagome as she was quickly thrust onto the stage. Then, just as suddenly, she found Shaya spooned behind her and whispering into her ear. She had to catch her breath. Shaya felt so masculine behind her and when the hanyou murmured into her ear her heart started to race.

"We'll put on a hotter show than those two girls. Just flow with it, Kagome, OK?"

Kagome tried to slow her breathing and her bizarre reaction to her roommate. A soft smile played upon her lips. Shaya was not only trying to cheer her up, she even was going to play along with her half-witted idea to soothe her need to be noticed. _Shaya's such a good friend, trying so hard to cheer me up._ "Thank you, Shaya," Kagome murmured as the hanyou girl moved behind her and put her clawed hands on the miko's waist.

"Don't mention it," Shaya replied in earnest. "Remember to move with me."

Kagome nodded as Shaya pressed her form up against Kagome's back. Kagome's curvy ass was pressed firmly against Inuyasha's pelvis, their long legs were locked together and Inuyasha's torso was pressed into Kagome's back. The taller hanyou girl started to move slowly and rhythmically as her hips swiveled in a slow circle. All the while, Kagome's shapely form was curving around the voluptuous hanyou girl.

Inuyasha was seeing stars every time the girl's rear end brushed against his crotch, causing his manly parts to stand up at attention. He groaned as 'Little Tessaiga' twitched in anticipation under the flirtatious assault of his roommate's luscious hips. He was startled when he heard her ask, "Are you keeping your cell phone in your panties, Shaya?"

_Fuck! She felt it!_ Not knowing how else to explain the huge bulge in his pants to the drunken girl, Inuyasha grunted in response. "Ye-yeah."

"You're crazy," she exclaimed before adding, "You might have an incoming call."

"Huh?" mumbled the hanyou unintelligibly. _Call? What the hell is she talking about?_

"Your phone… I think it vibrated," Kagome said hesitantly as she pressed her hips more tightly against his crotch as if to feel whether the inappropriately placed 'phone' was really vibrating.

Inuyasha's eyes rolled back at the contact, and he dropped his forehead onto her shoulder. Her unconscious teasing was driving him crazy, and she had no idea what she was doing. Slowly raising his head, he ran his nose up her neck—dangerously close, but still not touching—and indulged in the exquisite fragrance that was his Kagome. "Just ignore the fucking thing," he growled into her ear. However, he didn't get a response because the girl's mind was already elsewhere.

Their hips rotated together while Shaya's hands moved from Kagome's waist to move up and down her thighs. They danced to the pounding music that pervaded the dance club.

_This was never the way I planned,  
Not my intention  
I got so brave, drink in hand,  
Lost my discretion_

The miko took in a sharp breath as the hanyou's clawed hands reminded her of someone else—someone she wished was holding her now. In her mind, there was another hanyou behind her with long silver hair and adorable puppy dog-ears, a man with dreamy amber eyes and a lean, muscular body. Kagome sighed with desire as she imagined her crush holding her instead of Shaya.

_It's not what, I'm used to, Just wanna try you on…  
I'm curious for you, Caught my attention_

Miroku had been happily dancing with Sango. For once his 'girlfriend' was so drunk that his constant groping of her lovely ass wasn't even being questioned. In fact, at this moment, he had one hand firmly squeezing each luscious butt cheek of Sango's. His hands pressed her form into his body. _Ah, sweet heaven!_

He was quietly musing to himself about how the only way this night could get any better was if he could get lucky. Then he caught an odd sight. There before him, and hidden from Sango's view, was Kagome and Shaya. They were dancing erotically on the dance floor. _Oh Buddha. Your willing servant humbly asks that you let this lovely sight continue._

_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chapstick…_

He gazed enraptured at two utterly gorgeous chicks touching each other and writhing against each other on the dance floor as if they were lesbian partners making love. He had never seen anything quite as hot. That was, besides the few times he had spied into Sango's dorm room window to see her naked. _Ah, what a lovely sight that was indeed._

_I kissed a girl just to try it  
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it_

He watched as the hanyou girl's hands slid up and down Kagome's thighs. As the pink-tinged claws made their way back up the girl's bare legs, he watched them move underneath the red miniskirt's hem. Soon the girl's skirt was bunched up at the junction of her thighs. _Just a little higher and I'll see some panties._

_It felt so wrong, It felt so right  
Don't mean I'm in love tonight  
I kissed a girl and I liked it_

Suddenly a radical idea entered Miroku's sex-centric brain. _Hey, didn't Sango say that those two girls kissed before on a dare? _He thanked the song that was playing through the loudspeakers for the thought. _The only thing hotter than seeing two girls grinding up against each other would be them kissing! _With his mind made up, Miroku grabbed his wallet to pull out a 5,000 Yen note. Then, he slowly slid himself and an oblivious Sango over to the two girls who were dancing so beautifully together.

"Hey girls," Miroku called out over the dance floor. He waved his 5,000 Yen bill in front of the roommates. The money seemed to catch Shaya's attention. Kagome on the other hand had her eyes closed and seemed to be savoring the sensation of claws running up and down her legs. "5,000 Yen if you both kiss on the dance floor."

Shaya just smirked as she grabbed the note and shoved it down the front of her shirt. "Deal," she exclaimed with a devious grin.

_It's not what, good girls do.  
Not how they should behave…  
My head gets so confused,  
Hard to obey…_

Only one hand was now tracing up her leg and that seemed to awaken Kagome from her dreamlike state. "Wha…what?" asked Kagome who seemed to be just now catching onto the conversation.

"He's going to pay us 5,000 Yen to kiss, Kagome," remarked Shaya. In her drunken stupor, Kagome didn't catch the hanyou's heated gaze or the way the girl licked her lips in anticipation.

"Oh, OK," murmured Kagome in acquiescence. She turned her face to look upward at the tall girl.

The miko closed her eyes and pulled herself up on her tiptoes. The hanyou girl's molten amber pools seemed lusty and needy as she tipped the shorter girl's chin toward her.

Kagome pressed her small hands against Shaya's chest and was surprised to feel hard pectoral muscles under her fingers rather than the giving feel of a girl's bosom. _Inuyasha. This is just how I hoped he'd feel. _The girl didn't try to figure out the discordance. Instead, she lived her fantasy. Inuyasha was there on the dance floor. He had been dancing with her and now he wanted to kiss her.

She looked up before her, expecting to see Inuyasha's amber eyes gazing down at her. She was a little surprised to see her roommate's feminine orbs instead. Yet, her small hand was resting against hard muscle and a tight t-shirt. _What?_ Her brown eyes narrowed and then refocused. She felt the surge of power that erupted within her when she shot off her arrows of purification. Kagome shook her head and wondered why she felt the need to harness her miko energies, but quickly forgot her perplexity when she saw Inuyasha come into focus.

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt the hair on his skin stand up as if static electricity had started to roam over his entire body. He moved as if in a dream, and it was almost as if the very air around him was charged. Here was Kagome before him, willingly kissing him again. She had kissed him once before, and he had tasted her sweetness. It had been addictive and he wanted more. But, she had believed he was Inuyasha. She would have never willingly kissed him if she thought he was a girl. The bet was only an excuse, but he'd take it.

Her lips looked so rosy and full—just waiting to be kissed. He cupped her chin bringing her lips up to meet his. At first, it was but the briefest of touches, his lips ghosted over hers, once and then twice before his lips pressed firmly against hers. Something happened when they kissed, the spiritual energy leapt up between them crackling between their two bodies. Inuyasha felt tiny pinpricks of energy over his entire body—warming, touching and caressing him.

_Us girls we are so magical  
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable_

He thought that it would never go further than this on a simple bet, but Kagome pressed against him for more. Her soft lips parted and a dainty tongue peeked out to touch his lips. Without thought or volition, his mouth did likewise. Tenderly their tongues met outside their mouths before Inuyasha could no longer contain the desire that coursed through his veins. His skin radiated with fire from every centimeter that Kagome touched. It was as if they were opposing Tesla coils and that sweet sparks were leaping between their bodies. He pressed into the recesses of her mouth and savored her. She tasted of jasmine, sweetness and an alluring innocence that made her all the more desirable.

_Hard to resist, so touchable  
Too good to deny it…  
Ain't no big deal, it's innocent…_

Kagome hung onto Inuyasha as if he were her lifeline. Her hands moved down his chest, touching and stroking. She felt like her entire body was a live wire and that Inuyasha was the only one who could ground her to reality. She was mystified by the current erupting between them, by the way her hands trembled when she touched him and even by the way his chest heaved while her fingers trailed down his abdomen. With trepidation, Kagome reached one hand around his neck while another hand crept around his form to gingerly touch the tight rear end she had always admired.

Inuyasha nearly gasped as his meek little miko touched his butt and grazed her hand over it. _Two can play at that game._ With little thought other than to mirror her movements, he moved his clawed hand to trace up her inner thigh and under her skirt. There, under his finger, was the edge of her satiny panty. His digits crept under the silk and slid up to touch the soft, firm roundness of her bottom. He couldn't help but to respond as he pressed her giving form into his hard body and his hardening shaft. He ground up against her core and the friction was exquisite. He moaned into her mouth.

_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
The taste of her cherry chapstick  
I kissed a girl just to try it  
_

Miroku was in heaven. He had managed to get those lustful girls to not only kiss, but they were also groping each other's asses. He squeezed Sango's lovely tush in response. He absorbed every detail of the girls before him, willing it away to his memory to be recalled whenever fantasy deemed it necessary. _Oh Buddha, this is worth far more than 5,000 Yen. I wonder what they'd do if I gave them 10,000?_

The thought was quickly dismissed as Miroku noticed that the two girls were no longer kissing just to win a bet. _Holy shit, they're really going at it!_ He could only grin widely, while keeping Sango turned toward him and away from his new ogling opportunity.

_It felt so wrong, It felt so right  
Don't mean I'm in love tonight  
_

"Inuyasha," Kagome implored as she gazed half-lidded up at the hanyou. She had briefly broke contact with his lips to start kissing his jaw and ran kisses down his neck. She felt the strong cheekbones and the Adam's apple of a male. The person in her arms had a hard, muscular body. There was nothing feminine about him. _It has to be him!_

She could only smile. Somewhere inside, she wondered if she was dreaming and if she was treading upon reality or illusion. But somehow, she simply felt like she didn't care. Inuyasha—the person she had crushed on, the guy she had fallen in love with from afar—was now in her arms. And, if she was dreaming, why did her skin vibrate when they touched? Why was it that being with him and feeling the energy rippling through their forms was the only thing that seemed to matter?

_What? She knows who I am?_ Inuyasha was shocked enough to let his jaw go slack momentarily before he returned in full force to devour her mouth.

She gyrated her body against his, feeling the hardened warmth that only a man could produce. Her hand dipped from his butt to press against his shaft. Small, dainty digits moved in front of his jeans to graze against something hard and long. She had never felt one before. It felt like a steel rod was embedded under his stretched pants. Her fingers slowly stroked the front of his jeans, causing Inuyasha to gasp out loud. "I knew it was you," she breathed breathlessly. "Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he whined in desperation.

_I kissed a girl and I liked it  
I liked it_

Miroku's eyes bulged out of his sockets. He was happy to see the girls grinding up next to each other. Seeing them kiss was icing on the cake. But seeing Kagome's hand going down Shaya's pants to find her sweet spot was nearly overwhelming. The miko was palming the girl's crotch in the middle of the dance floor. He quickly traced his eyes from Kagome's dazed, yet lustful gaze to Shaya's hot, voluptuous body. The other girl was writhing under the miko's touch, pushing herself against the other girl's hand. Then he looked into the hanyou's eyes. The girl had her eyes closed and her jaw clenched in a look that would either denote pleasure or pain. He imagined the former was the cause.

Inuyasha moaned as his innocent miko stroked his shaft up and down outside of his jeans. The music pounded and pulsated all around them. His hips thrust forward to meet his roommate's caress. Then, he smelled a wonderful, intoxicating scent.

Jasmine was already clouding the air around them. However, now a marine scent wafted up to his nostrils. He had smelled it once before in the showers—the scent of Kagome's arousal. _Fuck! _His head lolled back as if drunk, and he nodded his head forward to lie on her shoulder. It just brought him closer to her mesmerizing scent. It clogged his senses and blinded any coherent thought that he might have had. She was still stroking his length through his pants. He growled.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and was confused. She had never seen him looking so feral or lustful before. His golden eyes were rimmed with crimson.

"You're playing with fire," he murmured huskily.

"I…I don't understand," she responded in bewilderment.

"You don't just tease a guy and expect him to not respond," he growled out.

Kagome closed her eyes and smiled blissfully. _It really is Inuyasha._ Perhaps she should have been afraid, but the alcohol had dulled her inhibitions and she only knew that she wanted him—every part of him. She couldn't get enough of the strange energy that swirled between them, exciting every part of her body.

She moved her body against his again. Kagome focused again on her sense of touch and the feel of his warm, hard body against hers. Her body molded so nicely against his. It felt so right, so perfect.

She was completely unprepared for Inuyasha to suddenly grab her before he swung her into his arms. He carried her bridal style and was running as if he was being chased.

"Wha…what?" she asked in perplexity. She felt like a woman that had been nabbed by a caveman.

Inuyasha only squeezed her body closer to his, pressing her against his chest. His body ached and he was on fire. She was still giving off that delectable scent that called to him to take her, to complete what her body demanded of him. He was really going on nothing less than instinct as he ran out of the club and into the cool air of the Tokyo night.

Miroku stood there dumbfounded. _Did Shaya just manhandle Kagome and run off with her? Are they going to…?_ A silly grin plastered itself across his face. His mind made up for their absence by creating its own images of two naked girls making out in a lesbian love session. He squeezed Sango's rear end again and this time she moaned. He licked her ear and made his way back to her luscious lips. _Now, if I could only get as lucky…_

* * *

Spotting Miroku's silver Lexus at the back of the parking lot, Inuyasha stumbled his way to the car with Kagome in his arms. His breathing was heavy, and his pants were extremely uncomfortable courtesy of the drunken girl and her unrelenting lips upon his neck. By the time he reached the passenger side of the vehicle, she had sneaked one finger down the waistband of his jeans, causing his knees to buckle and almost sending them both toppling onto the ground.

Fumbling with the keys he miraculously managed to pull from his pocket, he tightened his hold on her waist to keep her steady so that he could concentrate on finding the little button to unlock the doors. The girl whimpered at the same time the locks gave way with the sound of a beep. She pressed her hips into his urgently while one of her legs crept up to his waist and her foot crept around his bottom, leaving him no room to escape.

As if he wanted to... _Keh!_

Just then, the delicate arm hugging his neck gave a surprisingly strong pull, and his swollen lips crashed onto the girl's eager ones. Her fingers tugged at his hair forcefully, deepening the kiss with urgency and eliciting a groan from the hanyou. The same fingers were on his ear next, soft but persistent, stroking him into a frenzy.

She moaned into his mouth, and he dropped the keys.

He grudgingly broke the kiss and cursed profusely. Kagome giggled and resumed her assault on his neck and jaw. She laughed loudly when he bent down to retrieve the keys, bringing her down with him by refusing to release his hold on her. Both of her legs wrapped around his waist as she held on to his neck for dear life.

He stood up panting. Her heat was burning the front of his pants. He could feel her skirt gathered up under his arm. If he didn't put a stop to this madness, he knew they would never make it to the dorms. With that thought in mind and with the strength of will he didn't know he possessed, he managed to extract one of her legs from around his waist.

Kagome was having none of that, though. She whimpered in protest before forcing his head down and capturing his ear between her lips. The low growl that radiated from his chest was the only warning she received before her back was plastered to the side of the Lexus and her mouth was mercilessly attacked by his lips, fangs and tongue.

Clawed fingers swept up her thigh, securing her leg around the hanyou's waist. Warmth pooled between her legs under his electric touch, leaving her body quivering with desire. How long had she dreamed of this; showing this divine being how much he meant to her and feeling the beat of his heart against her chest, the warmth of his luscious lips against hers, the softness of those adorable ears under her fingertips; feeling _wanted_ by _him_? Even if she was dreaming again, she was going to make the most of it.

That thought liberated her already intoxicated mind, and she ground her hips against his, desperate to make him understand how much she wanted this, how much she wanted _him_. A low growl reverberated from his chest, sending shivers up her spine, and he thrust against her, pressing her back harder against the car. With a groan, he severed his lips from hers and dropped his forehead to rest on her shoulder. His hands latched onto her waist, keeping her in place as he struggled to regain his breathing. His voice shook when he whispered, "Not like this… not here." In a whirlwind of motions, she found herself looking out the windshield of the car as he took the driver's seat and steered the car out of the parking lot with a loud screech of tires.

His foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal. Inuyasha breathed in deeply and instantly regretted it when his head swerved dangerously. _Fuck! Not a good idea. _She smelled exquisite, too alluring for her own good, and he was trying to maintain control as he sped down the streets of Tokyo.

It didn't help that Kagome wouldn't stop touching him. One second, her hand would caress the back of his hand on the gear shift, sending tremors up his arm, and in the next, she would grope his arm, causing his muscles to clench unbearably. He was sure he would have cramps the next day. When he groaned in misery, she would giggle and show him some semblance of mercy and let him drive. Even then, she would be touching him one way or another. If nothing else, she would twirl his hair between her fingers, which would remind him of how it felt when she tugged on them to bring him closer to her body. _Fucking focus, you idiot! Just a few minutes more, and you can be all over her._

Kagome felt euphoric. It was impossible, even in her intoxicated state, not to notice the way he tensed up, groaned and whimpered every time she touched him. He, _Inuyasha_, literally whimpered! And, it was all because of _her_—plain, old Kagome. So, she happily continued stroking him. When her hand trailed up his thigh, raking her nails on the thin fabric of his jeans, he moaned and closed his eyes. His moan was cut short, though, because the moment he opened his eyes, he hit the brakes with such force that she would have flown through the windshield if it wasn't for her seatbelt and the sudden appearance of his arm against her chest.

She looked up to see that they had barely managed to stop at the red light. Hearing his ragged breathing, she returned her gaze to the hanyou. He was looking straight ahead, his jaw was clenched and his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly. He gulped audibly and whimpered before looking down at his lap. Only then did she realize the source of his discomfort. In her panic, she had gripped his thigh. Now, she could see that it wasn't his _thigh_ that she was grabbing. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she bit her lip before meeting his gaze. She was so entranced in his smoldering orbs that she hadn't even noticed that he had unfastened her seatbelt. Her breath caught in her throat when, out of nowhere, she was hauled off her seat.

Inuyasha couldn't care less about where they were anymore. The instant she straddled his legs, he attacked her lips with a growl. His hands roamed over her delicate form with urgency as he trailed kisses down her throat. With each gasp she emitted, he could feel her warm breath on his ear sending chills down his spine only to add to the pressure on the front of his jeans. When she grasped his shoulders and rocked her hips over his, he could swear he saw stars. Trailing his lips up her throat, he bit on her earlobe gently as she writhed in his arms mindlessly.

From beneath his eyelashes, he noticed the street lights turn to green and he groaned in misery. _Just a few minutes… You can make it for a few minutes more._ Chanting in his head determinedly, he severed his lips from her sweet skin before speeding off toward the campus like a bullet. Concentrating on the road proved to be almost impossible with a horny miko in his lap, grinding against him and showering every visible inch of his skin with open-mouthed kisses. Twice he had to grudgingly force her head down so that he could actually see where he was headed; he almost collided with a street sign once. It was hard when all he wanted to do was suck on that all too eager mouth of hers. Three times he had to force her hands away from his manhood. He nearly drove straight into a wall on one of those occasions.

He sighed in relief when, with a screech of tires, he stopped in front of the dorms. Having no patience left—Kagome had managed to unbutton two buttons on his jeans at this point — he shot out of the car with the girl swung onto his back. Leaving Miroku's beloved Lexus awkwardly parked in three spots without a single backward glance, he headed in through the doors. Somehow, he had managed to run the two of them past the front desk and Miss Tsubaki's malevolent glare.

After a quick dash up the staircase, he found himself at their apartment door. Kagome was still raining kisses down the back of his neck as he quickly managed to stick the room keycard in the slot and burst into the apartment. Once they reached their room, he violently slammed the door behind them. With Kagome still on his back, he managed to bend down to pull out the futon. Somehow, bending over gave Kagome ideas, because before he could say a word, she had dropped off his back and had pushed him down onto the fluffy futon.

Her lips quickly found his furry ear and her hands were pulling against his top. He simply surrendered to his instincts. He felt his tank top being tugged off and small digits splayed against his warm torso. For a brief moment, her hands left his body and he could swear that he heard himself whimper like a girl. _Fuck!_

Kagome looked up at him mischievously as her arms jerked her tiny spaghetti top off her body. A pink bra quickly followed and was left dangling on his study chair.

He had seen her breasts before, many times in fact. But, this was the first time he felt like he had the audacity to touch them. And touch them he did. At first, his clawed hands held their smooth roundness, letting their warmth and size settle in his hands. However, soon his mouth found a pert nipple and he couldn't help but to suckle them like a newborn that had found a teat for the first time.

He groaned as his lips found heaven in feminine goodness, and his ears were mercilessly licked by her warm tongue. _Breasts and ears, Oh god… Breasts and ears…_

Kagome gasped as she felt his mouth lather one of her nipples. A bizarre feeling of wetness and flickering electricity made her nipples stand on end. Then, he was suckling against a breast like an infant, while his hand carefully kneaded and pulled at the other.

There before her were the very ears she had always wanted to caress. Both of her hands started the gentle, rubbing ministrations of the furry objects of her affection. She felt the velvety softness that lined the side of his ears. She also gently stroked the inside lid, before her lips found their fuzzy softness.

He was so lost that he barely felt her body shove against his, pushing him down on the futon. Kagome straddled him, shoving warm wetness against his growing stiffness. His body betrayed him as he groaned and grinded up against her. The friction was exquisite, but it wasn't enough to satisfy—not enough for them to find completion.

Soon, smooth white digits were touching his chest in reverence. Her touch electrified his skin and he had to look down. He had to see her small, soft hands touching his hard masculine body.

His eyes widened when he glanced down to see his ample feminine bosom being carefully touched and massaged by small white hands. He was almost mesmerized in both horror and fascination as he looked at his large, rounded breasts and perky brown nipples, Kagome's hands blithely caressing their smoothness. _Fuck! _The feelings leaping at him were confusing. He was shocked to see her stroking a woman's breasts (his breasts!), yet the synergy that erupted between the two of them was also something he could not deny. Electrical sparks surged between their bodies, making him twitch within the confines of his jeans. It made him so needy that it hurt.

He felt like he was falling into the pits of hell, so why did it feel so fucking good?

He was floating in abandon as he looked down to see Kagome's tongue gently swirl around the tip of his nipple. _Oh God, why does it turn me on to see her make love to another woman? And why am I the other woman? Fuck!_ He watched in fascination as she blew up against his teat, making it pebble and making his bouncing breasts stiffen under her ministrations. It was almost as if he was living an out of body experience. He knew he was a guy, he felt her tongue on his hard chest, yet he was seeing one woman licking another woman's bosom. Kagome's aura sparked against his youkai energies—titillating him, absorbing him.

Kagome couldn't help but to put both of her hands on the firm, sweat-glistened pectorals that she had always admired. She had seen Inuyasha in a tight t-shirt more than once, his well-defined muscles clearly visible underneath. She never thought there would be a day when he would actually let her touch him. She felt like she was a mortal touching a god. _Well, maybe a demi-god._ She almost giggled to herself in her drunkenness. One hand splayed against the hard muscle and the silky skin that encased it. Her fingers danced over a nipple before she grinned to herself and had to lean in to kiss and lick it.

She hadn't expected him to gasp when she licked his salty skin, nor did she expect to feel the quivering vibration of energy arching between them like a live current. But when he groaned, she simply had to do more and she had to feel him again. Her tongue circled his areola, and then she blew on the smooth, darkened skin. He visibly shook. They felt the storm that was quickly ensnaring them both.

"Inuyasha," she whispered.

His half-lidded eyes sprang open to stare down at the girl who knelt over him. _Fuck it! She sees me as I really am, it doesn't matter. This won't stop me!_ With that thought, Inuyasha completely let go, reveling in the moment, enjoying his time with Kagome despite the cursed bracelet—despite the bizarre images he saw of lesbian lovers. All he knew now was that he needed to not only see Kagome's naked form, he needed to touch her and to embrace the spark that was erupting between them.

His clawed hands slid up her legs to her thighs. He could feel her skin getting warmer as his claws scraped against her hips. His fingers trembled when they ran into a satiny panty. _Fuck it!_ If he had been thinking, he wouldn't have sliced the offensive garment off with his claws. But thinking was something he had been doing very little of for the past hour. It was instincts that lead his hands to cup her warm, smooth bottom with both hands. He groaned as she pushed down on him, pressing her moist heat against his hardened shaft and the scratchy jeans he was wearing.

_Gotta get this damned thing off!_ He pushed Kagome up, so that she was kneeling above him. He mourned the loss, but he needed to get closer to her. Every nerve ending in his body screamed at him to push himself into her as deeply as he could and there was too much cloth in the way. He was surprised when her dainty hands helped to unzip his jeans and then to push the black cotton jeans down his legs.

Kagome looked down as she knelt over the beautiful man she loved. However, right now it was lust that was surging to the forefront. There really was nothing better than rubbing her aching heat against him. But she needed more. She wanted his body to embrace her intimately. She watched as he motioned to take off his jeans. For once, his darkened, honeyed eyes drifted away from her. He almost bit his lip with his fangs as he tried to concentrate on ridding himself of his clothes. She smiled mischievously. How many times had she wanted to see more of his body? Those powerful thighs, his taut butt…? She moved without thinking. Soon she had undone his zipper and was laughing as she pulled his jeans down his body, kissing his heated flesh as it was revealed to her intense gaze.

Her eyes flicked up to his. She was expecting to see unbridled lust and was surprised to see wonder. _Do I truly have that sort of effect on him?_ She giggled before unzipping her skirt and slipping it off her legs. She decided to let the fabric slide off slowly and she watched his eyes trailing down her body. Just seeing him react to her with eyes that were widened in amazement was a powerful aphrodisiac. As if she needed any more enticement with him around…

His look of awe as he stared at her was all the encouragement she needed to pull one final piece of cloth from his body. She wasn't surprised when he helped her tug off his underwear, kissing her deeply as their hands fumbled with pulling them down his legs.

_Fuck it!_ They were his only pair of men's underwear, but they had to go—now! His claws sliced them away as well and there was nothing more obstructing them.

Then, her wide hips settled down on his stiffing ache and he felt wet warm heat pour over him. He pushed and ground against her. She moaned and bent over to kiss him more readily, her tongue plunging into his waiting mouth.

His youkai flared up against her aura. Her powerful energies enveloped him and nearly singed his skin with combined agony and pleasure. But it wasn't her place to take control. _I'm the man, dammit!_

He pushed and twisted against her body, letting her roll underneath him. His long, silver strands created a moonlit waterfall around their bodies, so that only the two of them could be seen.

This was where she should be. Every instinct within him demanded that he push into her deeply, up to the hilt. He needed to be within her, in her, part of her…

He heard her moan underneath him, pushing her wetness against his far too eager flesh. Her eyes were dazed, lost. _Lost in lust, or is she just too drunk to comprehend what's happening?_

He groaned. _Fuck me, fuck me!!! She's drunk! I can't! Not now._

He almost sobbed as he pulled back his stiff flesh from the nestling warmth that he wanted to fall into. "We can't do this," he muttered with self-hatred.

He looked down at Kagome. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he was completely unprepared to see tears swimming within her saddened chocolate orbs.

"You…you don't want me…" she choked back a sob, her lips trembling.

"No! Fuck, no!" Inuyasha protested. He moved down and cupped her cheek with his hand, his golden eyes boring into hers. "No, Kagome. Don't ever think that." He couldn't help, but to finally tell her the words that escaped from his heart. "I…I love you…"

Amazed mocha eyes stared back at him in bewilderment. "What? You…you love me?"

He smiled back at her with a bittersweet grin. _Fuck, I'm getting blue balls and I'm declaring my undying love!_ "I've been in love with you for a long time. It just took me a while to figure it out."

"Then why?" she asked while shaking her head in confusion. Tiny tears meandered down the sides of her face. He moved a calloused thumb against them, rubbing them away.

"Kagome, you're drunk. I want…I want to do this with you. Just wait until you are sober, please?"

The miko underneath him paused, and a slow, warm smile broke out over her face. "Oh, Inuyasha," she cried as her arms enveloped him, pulling him close again.

His throbbing ache made contact with her warmth again and he groaned. Misery and denied pleasure twisted his face. "Don't do that to me, girl. I just need to have a cold shower and I'll be OK. I'll…"

Kagome sat up, propping herself up with her elbows. Her smile softened, and she pushed him back down.

"What? What the…Kagome?" he muttered. He was yet again laying on the futon with Kagome rising above him.

"I've never…" sputtered his miko. "But, Ayame says guys like it."

"Guys like…? What are you talking about?" Inuyasha tried to push up against her. He needed to get into a cold shower, really quick. If he stayed in the room with her, smelling her scent that was calling to him to take her, he really didn't know if he would be able to hold back.

He really was trying to fight her, but when her warm fingers wrapped around his throbbing member, he was lost again. His head fell back against the futon. He was done fighting.

Kagome looked down at him and it was intimidating. She had never touched a guy down there before. And now, his firm, hard, long—_thing_—was in her hands? Somewhere in the back of her mind she decided it was good that she was drunk. She doubted that she would have had the nerve to do this had she been sober. She felt him within her hands. Warm and much smoother than she was expecting, almost like silk over a hardened cylinder. She experimentally tugged up and down on it. He groaned and she smiled. That was all the encouragement that she needed.

She tried to remember all that Ayame had told her about what to do. How to please and tease a man... But she really didn't remember most of it. Her hands gently pulled up and down. She noted how dark it was, how the tip was almost purple-brown. How it swelled and how the pulsing veins of violet wrapped around it, throbbing with his heartbeat.

But more than anything, she wanted him to moan in pleasure and she wanted to be the one to give that to him. With that last thought, she moved her lips above his long thickness and licked the tip. She swirled it around with her tongue before plunging his length into her mouth, bobbing up and down on salty warmth. The parts that didn't fit in her mouth, she wrapped her fingers around, tugging against the velvety skin.

Inuyasha groaned and whimpered at her ministrations.

_Oh god, don't stop, don't fucking stop! _He chanted. It felt so fucking good. Sure, he had jacked off before, he had even done so imagining her tight mouth right over his engorged length. But the real thing was so much better!

He had to look down. He had to see his long shaft of his in her hot little mouth. But, he had forgotten the bracelet…

Looking down, he saw Kagome's small hands parting his wet, moist folds—her mouth sucking on his puffy clit. He supposed that he should have been disgusted. But this was his Kagome, going down on another woman. _Not another woman, me! Oh fuck!_

He grunted as her mouth sucked up and down. He felt her tongue wrap around his long length. He knew it was his manhood in her mouth, even if his eyes were lying to him.

He looked down at Kagome again in rapture. His head lolled to the side. She might have been the one who was drunk, but now he felt like he was the one falling over the precipice of lust and longing.

"Oh God! Kagome!" he screamed as her mouth tried to suck on him one final time. He felt himself spurt and shot his spunk against her mouth. Some of it found its way into her mouth, but he was surprised to see her choke and for most of his essence to erupt all over her body and the white futon.

His ebony-haired miko smiled at him demurely. She seemed proud of her ability to bring him to completion. He looked up at her. His cum was on her face, her neck and breasts. _God, that looks good all over her body._ He felt like a real dog then, marking his territory. He smirked with pure satisfaction.

He smiled at her gently as he took a corner of the bed sheet and wiped her down. He took her chin in his, bringing her face to him, kissing her gently.

He pulled away to gaze into her eyes. "I fucking love you!" he declared before he kissed her again, tasting himself in her mouth.

She shivered as he drunk in the recesses of her mouth. His hands roamed her curvy body, his lips trailing kisses. She arched her back as his tongue found her breasts again. Then he licked a circle around her belly button before dipping down even further.

"Inuyasha!" she gasped in astonishment. He moved between her legs and gently pushed them apart. Her head fell back, and she really couldn't believe what he was doing. She had touched herself before down there, but no one else ever had.

She couldn't help but to buck against his hand that cupped her sex, her moisture seeping against his palm.

"Let me give this back to you," he added as he peered at her from between her thighs.

Kagome swallowed nervously before letting her head fall back onto the cloudy cotton fabric. Then, she felt it, a clever tongue probing her nether regions. She whimpered in abandon.

Inuyasha could only find himself surprised at his attempt to pleasure Kagome with his mouth and tongue. Kouga had always told him how much women loved it, but how much the wolf demon had hated it. Kouga had always described a woman's pussy as tasting like some weird combination of a stinky fish and putrid seawater. But Kagome's liquid heat wasn't revolting, far from it—he enjoyed the way she tasted. She did have the tang of the sea, but it was pure and clean—fresh and all Kagome.

He started to suckle on her swollen clit and he smirked into her flesh. She was moaning and her sounds were maddeningly sweet. Her fingers gripped the blanket underneath her as if it was the only thing that could tie her to reality.

He drove into her with as much fervor as he had with her breasts—licking, suckling and probing with his tongue. He felt a steady stream of her womanly juices flowing from her. He tried to lap up all of her essence like the dog he was before he felt her inner walls quiver against his tongue. Her moans pitched into a long, breathy scream. She twisted the blanket underneath her with her hands, and her head shook back and forth.

He glanced up at her, amazed that he had brought out that kind of reaction from his meek, blushing miko. She only lay there panting, staring at the ceiling in complete bafflement. He slid up the side of her body, trying to avoid her wet, velvet heat. Even if he was pleasantly sated, he knew that one brush of his body against hers and he would lose all coherence.

He kissed her deeply and smiled as she sighed against him. He looked with satisfaction at Kagome and her half-lidded eyes. "I'll get you some water and aspirin," he mumbled as he kissed her cheek and stood up.

He turned around smirking at his naked miko. Her long ebony hair was fanned out against her white, fluffy futon. Her legs were spread apart, and her arms fell listlessly to her sides. Her form seemed boneless and spent. _God, I'm good!_

Kagome only nodded in mute acknowledgment as he went searching their apartment for the items. He was back at her side in mere minutes. But, he was disappointed to hear her softly snoring in blissful ignorance.

He placed her glass and pills on the bed stand next to the futon. Then he pulled a blanket out of his closet. Once he had lain down at her side, he tugged it over them. He sighed in bliss as he spooned behind her, all of her lovely, womanly curves pressing softly against his muscular frame.

He really never remembered being as happy as he was at that moment. He buried his nose into her dark locks and he breathed in her scent. His head lulled against her neck, his body falling into the depths of slumber beside her. He dreamt of Kagome, her jasmine scent and their bodies intertwined in lovemaking.

* * *

Kagome's head hurt and she couldn't open her lids. The bright light that was filtering past the curtains hurt her eyes, even though they were closed. She groaned and twisted in her bed covers. It was then that she realized there was a warm body spooned behind her. Their legs seemed to be entangled and a strong arm was holding her firmly by the waist.

She felt warm skin pressed against her naked body, and the arm around her waist seemed heavy. The body pressed against her felt lean and masculine. A large clawed hand gripped her hip. For some reason, she felt no panic at having a partner holding her in bed. She was still a little too hungover, and reality hadn't quite settled around her shoulders yet.

The miko tried to recall how she had ended up being held so possessively by the person next to her. As she did, she sighed and curled deeper into the covers and the individual who held her.

_I was dancing at a club…_ She remembered that much. She had shown up with her girlfriends and she thought that she was dancing with Shaya. _But then, Inuyasha showed up. _Kagome sighed happily. _Inuyasha was there. Inuyasha kissed me. Then we…_

Suddenly, her mind was filled with a torrent of passionate images. She saw silver hair and felt claws scraping softly against her thighs. Her mind recalled how her clothes had disappeared quickly and how his hands had roamed over her body. She remembered heated kisses and how his talented tongue had first suckled on her breasts before it made its way down her body. _Oh… _Kagome moaned as she remembered being pleasured the night before. She was starting to get warm again just thinking about it. But her mind was fuzzy and couldn't come up with all of the details. All she remembered was that she had enjoyed it—immensely.

She felt like the blankets and the man who was pressed so closely behind her formed a warm cocoon around her. Whatever had happened last night made her feel…fulfilled. Wanted. Happy. Unrepressed. Sexual.

However, her head hurt. Despite the warm embrace, Kagome moaned this time, but not in pleasure. She tried to open her eyes and blinked. Then, she hissed like a vampire as the bright sun hurt her eyes. She squinted and found a glass of water on her dresser. There were even two aspirin tablets waiting for her next to the glass.

Her wandering hand swiped at the drink before she was able to snag it and bring it to her lips. She gulped down the water as if she was dying of dehydration. Then, she managed to grab the two white pills that she threw in her mouth. She continued to drink, swallowing the medication as she took one final swig from her cup.

Kagome sighed and fell back down into the bed. She saw silver locks of hair through her partially closed lids and there were the satiny, white dog-like ears twitching on top. She couldn't help but reach out a lazy hand to an ear. Despite the horrendous headache she had, she smiled. Inuyasha was almost purring, and his head seemed to be nuzzling closer and closer to her outstretched hand.

She turned over, expecting to see Inuyasha's sleepy face. What she saw made it difficult to breathe. Shaya was lying next to her, and she was completely naked. The hanyou girl had a half smile on her lips from the attention that had been given to her ear. Her roommate's nude body was barely covered by a tangled sheet that only covered the space between her legs. Shaya's rather largely endowed breasts were heaving with a soft sigh that escaped the hanyou's pink lips as Kagome petted her ear. The miko's hand quickly pulled away from the fuzzy appendage as if she had touched something that was too hot. She drew back and tried to clutch the sheets against her chest—a chest she noted that was only half the size of Shaya's. It was then that the hanyou girl leaned forward in her sleepy state to pull Kagome's stiffened body back into her loving embrace.

The miko's eyes widened in horror and embarrassment. She gulped as she looked down at her bare breasts and naked skin. The same skin that Shaya's bare body was wrapped around.

The miko twisted her body away from Shaya and drew up the bed sheet again, to cover her nude torso. The hanyou beside her finally managed to stir. One indolent amber eye peeked at Kagome, and then a broad smile crept across her face. The girl's arms enveloped Kagome. "Go back to bed," she muttered as she pulled Kagome close to her again.

All Inuyasha could think about was how happy he was. Somehow Kagome had recognized who he was last night and wasn't even upset. She knew he was a guy and that he was Inuyasha. _Well, she did say that she had a vision of 'the real' me before at the shrine. Maybe she can see through the charm?_ Kagome had even initiated their sexual escapades by touching his chest and stroking his manhood. For the first time, Inuyasha realized that the miko desired him, that she wanted him. _Her crush, it was me all along!_ He didn't even have time to curse himself for his stupidity in misreading the situation. He was just too happy to have the girl he loved in his arms, accepting him for who he really was.

They hadn't gone all the way, but as he felt her warm, soft body next to his, he was certainly thinking that perhaps now was the time to try.

The miko's eyes were wide with shock, and her lips pursed and opened breathlessly in surprise. The hanyou who held her in his arms turned Kagome around to face him. Inuyasha grinned at Kagome's body while he pulled the erstwhile white sheet away to expose the lovely flesh he had finally been able to touch. The mischievous smile on his face was licentious; he looked like a little boy who had just obtained his own candy store.

Before Kagome could even respond or protest, she was lying on her back with Shaya rising above her. The raven-haired girl could barely register a smirk crossing the hanyou's face before warm lips encased hers.

Kagome tried to protest, she tried to stop this from happening. It felt so horribly wrong to be naked on her bed, making out with her female roommate. Yet, there was something deep inside of her that relished the contact, something that was enjoying the kiss and full body contact of a hanyou with long, silvery hair. Was she enjoying this because Shaya reminded her of Inuyasha? _What is wrong with me? _Kagome felt like there was a man above her and for the briefest of seconds she imagined Inuyasha kissing her like he had done last night. _Was it Inuyasha?_ The thought of Inuyasha, naked in her bed, kissing her relentlessly, was the final straw that allowed her to enjoy the wantonness that Shaya was plying her with.

Almost against her will, Kagome responded to the hanyou's seductions. Suddenly, her lips moved against her roommate's and her tongue flowed with the one probing her mouth so intently. The miko's body responded. Her gut clenched involuntarily and wetness started to pool between her thighs.

Shaya groaned and then pulled back to lather her neck with kisses as her head slid lower. Kagome relished the attention, the way her body melted under the hanyou's temptations. Clever lips kissed on their journey down, and then a wickedly delicious tongue started to lather her nipples, which were already becoming erect.

Perhaps it was the warm wetness of Shaya's tongue on her breasts, or maybe it was the clawed hand that was making its way down to her slippery wetness. However, something shocked Kagome into pulling back from Shaya and gazing at the golden-eyed hanyou in utter alarm. She didn't know what was more disturbing—that she was responding sexually to her female roommate's attentions or that she had apparently mistaken her hanyou roommate for Inuyasha last night. Was she so drunk that she couldn't even tell if Shaya was a boy or a girl? And try as she might, she realized that she had enjoyed her last night of wantonness with Shaya immensely. That much she remembered clearly.

"Shaya… I'm a…I'm a lesbian?" squeaked out Kagome.

Inuyasha only sputtered in response.

_**

* * *

The Next Chapter:**__ Chapter 11: 'Girl Talk.' Inuyasha finally belts out a 'Wind Scar,' another kiss and a little Sess/Rin._

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Yes, Kagome is completely confused now. More to come… And please remember, this is a comedy…_

_#2: 'Lexington Queen' is a real dance club in the Roppongi Hills area of Tokyo._

_#3: 5000 Yen equals about 50 USD._

_#4: The song used in this chapter is Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl'._

_#5: Soundtrack for the lime: 'Inside' by Sting, 'Let Love In' by the Goo Goo Dolls, 'Gonna Get Close to You' by Queensrÿche._

_#6: Teenagers would rarely be seen driving a car around the streets of Tokyo (motorcycles are much more common). Usually the subway system is quicker and more convenient. You also have to prove that you have a parking space in Tokyo before you can even buy a car. In our story, Miroku comes from a very wealthy family and was able to obtain an expensive sports car. Apparently he also has a lot of money if he can manage to pay for the exorbitant parking fees in Tokyo._

_#7: In this chapter, Kori was drugged with Rohypnol (or roofies). It is a sedative drug that is 10x more powerful than valium. It has been called a date rape drug because of the following reasons: the drug has no taste when dissolved in liquid, causes short term memory loss and makes the victim feel drunk, often times to the point of losing consciousness._

_#8: If you were wondering why Inuyasha wasn't going to use a condom, you might recall that it was established earlier that Kagome was on the pill and that she was a virgin. Inuyasha (in this story) is also sexually inexperienced, even though he has heard many tall tales from Kouga._


	11. Girl Talk

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

* * *

_**Warnings:** Foul language and limey action._

_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree and SplendentGoddess!_

_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea

* * *

_

**Chapter 11: Girl Talk**

Kori turned over on his bed, gathering the blankets with his fist. He felt warm rays of light pouring down on him and he smelled the lovely cinnamon scent that he had come to recognize as Ayame.

He felt cool hands stroke his cheek. _Why do I feel drugged?_

"Are you OK, Kori?" whispered a gentle voice.

"Hummm," Kori turned around to see the red-haired demoness sitting next to him on his futon. He felt lethargic, but he couldn't help but to smile back at her with a goofy smirk—"I am with you here." He had meant to sound seductive. They were the words he might have uttered to a women he had wanted to get into bed. But, he was shocked to hear a girlish squeak come from his lips. The words weren't seductive, in fact it made him sound like a silly, frightened girl. _Damn! Fucking concealment spell, fucking Naraku, fucking Sessh-…_

His internal tirade was interrupted by Ayame's completely uncharacteristic outburst. "I'm so sorry, Kori!" The girl pulled him into a hug, which even in his stupor he tried to return enthusiastically. He moved his strong arms around her, pulling her feminine form and bosom against his chest. He moved his nose against the nape of her neck boldly, breathing in her feminine scent. Little Kouga immediately leapt to attention at the wonderful smell. His only thoughts at the moment were how good it would smell on his body and how lovely her body would smell if he could put his scent on hers.

Instead, he smelled salty tears. "Wha…what, Ayame? Why are you crying?" The demon girl had always seemed so tough, almost unbreakable. He never expected to see her display any form of weakness.

The girl drew him in for another fierce hug before pulling away. He found he hated losing contact with her body. He had to fight his instincts, which were demanding for her to get closer again.

The girl sniffed and used her fist to wipe her tears away.

"The same thing happened to me once, Kori. Some guys, they don't care. They only want one thing and they don't care about the girl inside. Do they?" The last words were partially yelled but came out as a sob.

Kori could only pull Ayame back into his arms, surprised at the rise of a strange feeling rivaling his arousal—a feeling of… _Compassion?_ "No, they…they don't always think about our feelings, do they?" he muttered absentmindedly. _Shit, was I ever that bad?_

Ayame pulled back from him again, a crooked smile on her lips. "Yeah," she sighed and looked at Kori appraisingly. "Are you OK, girl? You just went through a lot last night. I'll stay here with you today if you want. We're supposed to be at school, but I'll talk to headmistress Kaede for you and say that you're sick if you want."

Kouga tried to say a few words, but found that his mouth wasn't working. He cocked his head to the side in perplexity. _Why would she want to stay with me?_ Immediately, he remembered last night and the jerk that tried to take advantage of him after slipping a drug into his drink. He shrugged. _Oh well, it wasn't a big deal. I'm a guy. It's not like he could have… _His thoughts came to a halt, and his eyes widened when the implications of his roommate's words finally hit him. _Did…did that happen to Ayame? Did she get violated?_ Suddenly, a sick nauseous feeling crept into his gut, making him feel uneasy._ No fucker should have ever touched her! _"Ayame, when you said the same thing happened to you…" his voice trailed off before he gulped nervously. "What did you mean?"

She dropped her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes looked away. "A demon tried to drug me once. He…" Ayame shivered like she had stepped into freezing cold water. The look on her face was begging for understanding when she finally met his gaze.

Kori could only gape at his roommate with absolute horror written on his features. "He didn't …" he growled out in barely concealed anger. His fists clenched at his sides, digging his claws into his heated flesh. _How could any guy hurt Ayame?_

Ayame offered Kori a wane smile. "It doesn't matter. It's over. I'll never let a guy take advantage of me again. I've learned how to protect myself. And I'll…I'll protect you." Ayame's piercing eyes locked onto Kori's. "No one is ever going to hurt you, if I can prevent it!"

Kori only nodded in utter stupefaction. _Damn… _She_'s going to protect _me_?_

"Are you going to be OK, girl?" Ayame asked as she rubbed Kouga's arm.

"Yeah, sure," replied Kori as he looked at Ayame again, this time with curiosity. The emotions raging within him were bizarre. He felt the need to protect Ayame in return. And, he had a weird feeling percolating in his gut. Having her next to him made him feel light and made his stomach churn. When he looked at her face and saw her smiling, he felt like he would move the stars just to see her look at him like that again. _Curious… _

Ayame smiled at him fleetingly before she patted his hand and stood up. "OK girl, it's off to school then!" she declared as she moved to her side of the room to pack her bags.

Kouga paused for a minute to observe the way her burnished red hair fell about her shoulders and how beautifully her lithe form moved as she stretched. He was able to make out her belly button and a smooth flat tummy before she started to notice his attentions.

"Kori, are you sure that you are OK?" she asked in concern. Her eyes reflected tenderness and empathy.

Kouga swallowed and shook his head before turning to put on the hated green miniskirt that had become part of his weekday ensemble. He just couldn't figure that girl out, and even worse, now he couldn't even figure out himself.

* * *

In a quaint little restaurant only a few blocks away from the Takahashi Towers, three middle-aged men dressed in impeccable designer suits sat around a small wooden table. The atmosphere was warm, and their table stood next to the window in a cozy corner of the restaurant, looking out to a colorful flower stand by the busy street. The man with long, silver-hair tried to appear at ease while the other two looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Inutaisho sighed under his breath and resisted the urge to tug at his ponytail in irritation. All the while, he carefully kept his forced warm demeanor. He had chosen this place for the meeting especially for its friendly ambience, hoping that it would help ease the nerves of his business associates. So far, it didn't seem to work. Perhaps for the hundredth time in the last hour, he wondered what had gotten into his son to frighten their business partners to death. Granted, Sesshoumaru was always intimidating, even on his best day. But, never had a contract come close to being broken out of fear.

Never had the father of two sons felt the need to clean the mess after his eldest son. _Inuyasha? Yes — many times... But, Sesshoumaru…? Never._ Of course, there had been one instance when his first-born had turned into a mess. Right after his fiancée had disappeared, the cold and collected Sesshoumaru had shattered into pieces. He had given up everything to find Rin. It had taken him months to accept that ignoring his life had only made things worse. Inutaisho believed that the younger dog demon still hadn't given up on his search. However, nothing that the father knew explained why his son was being unreasonably uptight now — even for Sesshoumaru.

Pushing those thoughts away to be pondered later, the CEO of Takahashi Inc. focused on the two human men sitting across from him. Straightening the cuffs of his perfectly tailored dark suit, the great dog demon reached for his teacup and raised it in honor of his guests as he addressed them. "Mitsuro-san, Yuichi-san."

Both men fidgeted nervously and glanced at each other before their shoulders slumped in defeat and they obediently sipped from their cups. Knowing that the two businessmen finally relented to his agreement, Inutaisho reassured them one final time. "Despite the impression my son left on you, we're not related to the Yakuza in any way. Nobody will hunt you down if the delivery is delayed for one day."

The humans nodded meekly, since they were still apprehensive about the younger dog demon that had implicitly threatened to kill them. However, they were also reluctant to shoulder the consequences of breaking their contract. Inutaisho sighed inwardly and thanked his guests for being understanding. After promising to get together for a drink sometime, he took to the street and passed the few blocks to the Takahashi Towers in less than a minute thanks to his demonically enhanced speed.

Entering the building, he was greeted by the young, blonde receptionist with a huge smile. "Welcome back, Takahashi-sama."

Without breaking his stride, he nodded politely before entering the elevator. Once inside, he paid a glance at his reflection in the floor to ceiling mirrors. He noted the flawless state of his clothes and grinned in satisfaction. _Nothing out of place… as usual._ It was obvious where his eldest son received his ability to look so perfect. Looking up, he noticed a single lock of his bangs straying out of its usual order and scoffed. _I'm getting old._

Right then, the elevator announced its arrival at the top floor with an annoying ding. He raked his fingers through his bangs hurriedly, not wanting to be caught by prying eyes. _Kami forbid the word gets out that their flawless CEO is losing his charm._

Just as he took a step out of the elevator and into the hall, a teenage girl — probably an intern — flew past him sniffing loudly. He had to step back to avoid a collision. The scent of tears assaulted his nose as he looked after the girl in confusion. When he followed the direction the girl came from with his eyes; his gaze landed on the closed office door of his current problems. Reciting under his breath the perks of fatherhood so that he wouldn't lose his temper, he stomped toward Sesshoumaru's door. It practically screamed danger, even without a warning sign.

He stopped by the desk that resided in front of his son's office and looked at the lovely, young demoness with square-rimmed glasses. She was frantically typing on her computer as if her fox-tail was on fire. A mug full of cold, black coffee rested next to the keyboard, forgotten. _Someone had been working hard._ Despite his irritation, he managed to school his features—thanks to decades of experience—and kept his voice pleasant as he asked, "How are you today, Ayako?"

Noticing his presence, she pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled in greeting. Before she could open her mouth though, a male employee Inutaisho recalled seeing around a few times put a folder on her desk. Ayako looked at the man pleadingly, but he stubbornly shook his head, refusing to go into her superior's office. He almost ran away, but not before bowing briefly to the CEO.

Ayako sighed exasperatedly before turning her attention back to her boss. He raised an eyebrow in question, and she gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Mr. Takahashi. I'm very well, thank you…"

"Ayako!"

Sesshoumaru's booming voice pierced through the closed office door. Inutaisho could have sworn he had seen the door tremble in its hinges and heard Ayako's pens rattle in their holder. The secretary jumped up, knocking her mug down in the process and sending coffee all over the desk and keyboard.

"I'm still waiting for that feasibility report! Where is it?!" roared the fuming demon.

Seeing the young woman visibly tremble as she tried to wipe out the brown liquid off the now ruined desk, Inutaisho took the folder resting on a luckily dry corner and put his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "I better deal with that," he said with a roll of his eyes and a reassuring wink before heading straight into the lion's den.

He made sure to close the door before he stomped to the large mahogany desk overflowing with piles of documents and slammed the folder down on top of it all. Sesshoumaru broke his glaring match with his laptop and looked up at his father; confusion and annoyance mixed in his stare. Inutaisho slowly took in his son's appearance. His tie was discarded, and so was his jacket. His normally ironed-to-perfection shirt was wrinkled with the cuffs pushed carelessly up to his elbows and two buttons undone at the top. His always shiny, perfectly straight hair was in tangles. His face sported a five o'clock shadow, and worst of all, his golden eyes were blood-shot, as if he hadn't been sleeping for a week.

It tugged at his heartstrings, and the older demon closed his eyes for a moment before he asked gently, "What happened to you, son?"

Sesshoumaru's voice was flat when he responded, "What do you mean?"

His irritation reappearing at his son's ignorance, the CEO shot back, "You know what I mean. Look at you!"

"Nothing is wrong with me," snapped the younger demon. "I'm perfectly fine, father."

"The hell you are!" bellowed Inutaisho as his anger came back full force at his son's blatant dismissal.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed, and he shot to his feet. "Will you stop treating me like a pup? I said I'm fine! I don't have any goddamn problems! I'm fine! Perfectly. Fine!"

"If you're going to act like a pup, you'll be treated as such," hissed Inutaisho looking like he was ready to pull his adult son onto his lap and slap his butt into submission. "You will not take your anger out on my employees, neither will you terrorize my business associates. Is that understood?" Receiving a stiff nod in response, he added with narrowed eyes, "Get your act together, pup, before I decide to do it for you."

The younger demon stood still for a few moments as if contemplating his answer. Inutaisho couldn't help but think he was planning something. Finally, Sesshoumaru sat back on his chair, took a deep breath and nodded once.

Still agitated with his son's unexplained actions, but relieved now that he made his point, the great dog demon turned swiftly on his heels and left the room without a glance back.

The door closed after him with a loud bang that echoed through the large hall.

* * *

A few minutes after PE, Shaya stood at the end of the field near the tracks in her school uniform. The green skirt and her long silver hair drifted in the wind. She fingered the sword that lay hidden within the sheath at her side. Her white, doglike ears twitched in irritation, and her golden eyes narrowed into cat-like slits, their color accentuated by sparkling pink eye shadow.

Things had been going so beautifully for the hanyou just two days ago. He had kissed Kagome for the first time and had even found out that the crush she had was on him. He had been so frantically jealous, and all along, she had only wanted _him_. The very next night they had danced together at a club, she seemed to know who he really was. She had called him by his real name and she had even initiated their extensive make-out session that had left the two of them naked on her futon. He grinned like an idiot at the memory before he noticed how stupid he must look. Shaking his head, he forced his thoughts away from the steamy images that filled his mind and to what had happened afterwards.

When Kagome woke up in the morning with a hangover, she seemed to only have spotty knowledge of the night before. And after he had come onto her again, now that she was fully sober—he heard a startling incongruity from Kagome when she asked, 'I'm a lesbian?'

He found his face grimacing in pain._ Oh, no Kami! No!_ Things were going so well. He finally had the girl he loved; she seemed to not even mind that he was disguised as a girl. Now she doubted her sexuality? _She can't be attracted to girls. She can't! If she is, then…I'd…_

He let the words twist in his mind, falling away into oblivion. His confusion mixed with frustration as he held his sword firmly in his hand. What was he supposed to do? Stay as a girl for the rest of his life? Could he do that without losing his mind? Was there even a chance that it would work out well if he did? How long could he stand being able to touch her and kiss her, but not really _be_ with her? At that thought, little Tessaiga almost cried out in protest. _If I don't have her the way I need to have her…_

Inuyasha growled as his frustration quickly turned into anger. This was horribly unfair. He huffed and tightened his grip on the Tessaiga's hilt. He was surprised when he felt the churning youkai energy swirling around the sword. His father had always told him that if he only managed to somehow tap into the strength of his 'fang' that he could harness the Tessaiga's signature attack. However, the 'Wind Scar' had always eluded him, something that his brother was only far too happy to remind him of.

All the hanyou could think was how angry and pissed off he was. How much he wanted to crush or destroy something. He tugged on the sword's hilt to hear it click when the sheath gave way. He lifted the dull mangled blade and examined its scratched exterior. Looking at the blade, he couldn't see its true form or its true power. _Like me…Tessaiga…It's hidden like me._ The sword let the world see one facet that was only a disguise and a far cry from the truth. Suddenly, he felt in tune with the blade. _Both of us are concealed._

Inside, he felt the firm conviction that he needed to free the sword from its erstwhile enchantment, releasing it to show its true form. _Father said that it could only be used to protect. Protect what? _Two warm chocolate orbs and a heart-stopping smile flashed in his mind's eye, and he knew. _Kagome._ He had puzzled over the enigma for less than a second before he heard the blade pulse, like the leaden metal had its own heartbeat.

He imagined someone trying to hurt Kagome and how he would step in and save her. His wild imagination concocted a fierce centipede youkai slithering through the air, trying to attack the girl he loved.

The pulse became frantic, and the sword nearly throbbed in his hand. With a 'whoosh,' the pot-marked blade suddenly erupted in power and grew in size to tower above him, glowing like the moon.

His youkai swirled and wrapped around him, his anger making the blade pulse in time with his heartbeat. He was lost, yet focused. Focused on bringing something down, focused on hurting something, and he was completely bewildered. He wanted Kagome and he wanted to protect her, to keep her by his side. He just didn't know if he could handle her thinking that they were in some sort of lesbian love affair. _That's not how it was supposed to happen, dammit!_

He sniffed, something was different in the air. There seemed to be a wound in the wind, some disruption in the fabric of the energies churning around him. If he could just focus on that and somehow heave his mighty sword through the cleft in the air…

Perhaps it was his anger or his emotions that were churning within him, but his instincts guided him to pull his energy back and then to release them against the sharp demarcation in the power swirling around him.

"Wind Scar!" he screamed.

A sudden burst of light and energy erupted from his blade and coursed across the track and field. Lightening seemed to surge from the blade and decimated the circular track in front of him.

Shaya's long silver hair and green skirt whipped away from her body like a fluttering flag. The updraft of wind from the event blew the front of his skirt upward exposing white, bow-tied cotton panties for the world to see. But, Inuyasha was too pleased with his ability to finally harness the 'Wind Scar' to be concerned with flashing the public.

Unbeknownst to the hanyou, who was now celebrating his small victory with disturbingly crude gestures of his arms and hips, three people had observed the act from the metal bleachers.

Kagome was sitting by herself near the top of the seats. Seeing the havoc the breathtakingly gorgeous Shaya created in a matter of seconds, her eyes widened with alarm. She quickly moved to dash down the steps to meet up with her roommate, who had just caused irreparable damage to the entire field. She quickly encountered the two other observers whose eyes were wide as well, but not with concern—only lust.

Hiten smacked his lips at the incredible display that he had just witnessed. "Did you see that?" the lightning demon exclaimed as he motioned to the hanyou girl on the field.

"Oh yeah," responded Miroku as he admired the girl's long shapely legs and the lovely glimpse of her panties. He grinned as he looked at his cell phone that had captured the fantastic event. "Marilyn Monroe, eat your heart out! Shaya's even hotter than you!" _Maybe I can put this captured video on YouTube tonight!_

"Perverts!" Kagome steamed as she walked past them with a huff and continued toward Shaya.

The miko sighed as she quickly made her way across the field. She was once again going to try to talk to her roommate, who for some reason barely said a word to her all day despite the fact that they had woken up together, naked. Ever since their bizarre morning awakening, Shaya had been curt but had not avoided her. In fact, all day long, Shaya had been dragging Kagome after her—their hands rarely separated. However, there had never been a word of clarification of the events of last night or of her pointed question. It seemed as if her roommate was upset, and all Kagome could hope was that she wasn't the cause. But, deep inside, she felt that she was, and the unease could be felt down into the pit of her stomach.

Kagome needed to talk to Shaya, but she knew enough about her introverted roommate to give her some space. Once the hanyou figured out whatever was putting her on edge, they could talk about what was happening and why Kagome had so many erotic images of making out with a hanyou.

The miko put a hand on her face to feel the hotness of her blush. _I…I must be a lesbian. But, how is that possible? What about Inuyasha? I still like him, don't I? And, I still want him… But, last night with Shaya… I can picture white ears and silky white hair licking my breasts and…_ Kagome flushed again, but this time it wasn't in embarrassment. _…and, I liked it! Oh, Kami! I really need to talk to Shaya!_

Kagome slowed down when she reached the hanyou, who seemed lost in thought.

The silvered-haired girl smiled with deep satisfaction as she looked forward to see five large gashes fanning out like jagged earthquakes from where she stood.

"Shaya?" asked Kagome timidly. "Are you all right?"

The hanyou girl just grinned and waved the huge luminous sword above her head and gesticulated wildly. "I did it! Kagome, I did it! I thought of you! How I needed to protect you, and Wham!" Shaya pointed to the trail of gashes in the ground. "And Sesshoumaru said I couldn't do it!" The hanyou's golden eyes gleamed in apparent self-satisfaction. She turned to return the large sword to the black lacquer sheath she held at her side. The blade became dull again, sliding in with a click.

"Sesshoumaru said you couldn't do what?" asked Kagome in confusion. _I just can't keep track of Shaya's moods. She hasn't said a word to me for most of the day and now she's talking my ear off!?_

Shaya paused with a puzzled look on her face. "The Wind Scar, of course," she said beaming with pride as she patted the sword that was slung low against her hip. "The bastard was jealous that I got the Tessaiga, which is a really kick ass sword, and all he got was the Tenseiga."

"Tessaiga? Tenseiga?" Kagome was thoroughly bewildered now.

"Oh, you don't know?" Shaya paused and took a step back. "My Dad gave this to me," Shaya said while gesturing to the sword at her side. "He said that I wouldn't be able to use it until I had someone to protect. And I imagined protecting you, and wow! Did you see that?"

Kagome only nodded in complete bewilderment as she gazed from where Shaya stood to the five huge cracks in the ground that radiated from Shaya's feet. The ground surrounding them was burnt and decimated. The soccer goal at the end of the field was a heap of melted metal and burnt netting. However, the major damage that had been wrought didn't seem to matter to Shaya who was simply beaming with pride.

"Keh! Now, I know I can do it. Sesshoumaru can just suck my…"

Shaya was never able to complete her sentence when Hiten came up to the hanyou and put her hand in his.

"Shaya, darling," cooed Hiten as he looked at the luscious-looking girl as if she was a delicacy that he wanted to eat. Shaya only stood with her mouth agape in surprise at seeing the demon next to her, holding her hand. The demon continued with his bright, blue eyes enflamed in desire. "You left me so soon after our first date, Shaya. Hojo explained to me that you were just comforting your roommate and had to leave." Hiten flicked his other hand at Kagome as if to dismiss her. "Now, we need to start off from where we last left off…"

Kagome could only stare at Shaya and Hiten in utter dismay. A weird feeling crept into her gut and twisted horribly. She felt lost and bereft. Her wide brown eyes drank in the scene before her. She looked at Shaya, who was arguably the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, and then she gazed at Hiten, who was an incredibly handsome demon. Hiten was holding Shaya's hand, and his eyes held such longing and desire. Surely, the demon was in love with Shaya. They looked beautiful together, like they were meant to be together. The miko was shocked that she had to fight to hold back the gnawing feeling of sorrow that erupted from her small frame.

Shaya tried to pull back from the black-haired demon, but Hiten held on fast. "What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded.

Hiten continued to stroke Shaya's hand, drawing circles on the surface with his fingers. "We need to go on another date, of course. You're the only woman for me, Shaya. I'll never find another woman like you."

The miko took a small step backward. She couldn't get a grip on her feelings. During the day she really had no idea how she felt about Shaya or their supposed tryst last night. Yes, she was her friend. But she had become her best friend so quickly. She had even saved her life in the shopping mall. Kagome put her hand over her heart. She didn't know how or why but she was hurting. Seeing Shaya with Hiten and knowing how right it was—hurt. She lowered her eyes since she could no longer watch the scene before her unfold, a scene that would surely find Shaya declaring her love for Hiten.

Shaya's amber eyes glared at Hiten in anger. _At least you got that straight!_ "I'm one of a kind. That's true. But get your fucking hands off me, asshole!" she screamed as she pulled her hand away from his.

"But! Shaya, dear...I want to take us out on another date. Just you and me," pleaded Hiten in bewilderment. No one had ever refused a date with him before. However, that just made Shaya all the more delectable. Hiten always wanted what he couldn't have.

"I don't want to fucking date you," Shaya seethed as she pulled her arms against her body. She then crossed them against her full bosom. The demon's eyes didn't know whether to focus on her lovely face or her ample assets.

"But why?" asked Hiten in supplication, his arms thrown out wide as if to plead his case.

Shaya couldn't help but to blurt out, "Because, you idiot, I like _girls_, not guys!"

"What?" muttered Hiten in disbelief as he noticed Shaya moving away from him.

Kagome was staring at the ground, trying to wish away the gnawing in her gut. She didn't know until now how much it hurt to see Shaya with someone else. Originally, she didn't know what to think about last night and then she had even pushed the half demon away. Now, there was no chance that Shaya would ever want to be with her. Who would want plain Kagome when there was a gorgeous demon like Hiten around? Then, she heard the words that shocked her senseless, "I like girls, not guys…"

"What?" murmured Kagome at the same time as Hiten. Her mocha orbs looked up for the first time to see the silver-haired hanyou with twitching pale ears storming away from the demon and toward her.

She noted the way the girl strode with confidence and the determination flashing in her golden gaze. In no time at all, the miko felt the hanyou girl put a hand around her waist before looking into her chocolate eyes with longing.

Kagome's jaw nearly dropped as Shaya's pink lips swept against hers. Suddenly, the intense feeling in her gut turned into elation; what had once swept her into utter desolation was now singing within her. She never thought that she would feel this way about another woman; her only crush had been on Inuyasha, who was also very good looking, but perfectly _male_. Regardless, she couldn't deny the way her gut clenched and churned with Shaya around.

She sighed with contentment as she opened her mouth and Shaya slipped her tongue in. The miko wrapped her arms around Shaya's neck and for the briefest of moments, she felt like it was Inuyasha holding her, declaring his desire for her over everyone else. She didn't puzzle over the dichotomy too much, for some reason she often saw Inuyasha when she was looking at Shaya. It had almost become a habit now. Something tugged at the back of her mind, something that felt guilty for kissing Shaya when she was thinking about Inuyasha. But, there was something else, something akin to her soul that said this was all right, that everything was as it should be. With that thought, she pulled away from Shaya's lips to look up at the expectant teenager.

Shaya's half-lidded eyes looked at her with longing and with a note of trepidation. It was as if the girl had just considered that this public display of lesbian affection was perhaps not the smartest action to take given the circumstances.

Hiten only looked back and forth between the girls with his jaw hanging open. Then, a curious look overcame his face. The shock blended into lustful desire as his eyes raked in the girls who were intertwined before him.

"That was so freaking hot!" exclaimed Hiten as he walked up to the pair with a new kind of hunger in his eyes.

Shaya was flabbergasted and stunned into silence. _Don't fucking tell me…! _

Hiten reached out his hand to Shaya's hair as she stiffened next to Kagome. Her long, silver hair was twirled around his fingers. The hanyou only shivered in disgust.

The demon smiled as he looked at the pair. "Can you do that again and can we find a private location so that I can join in as well?"

_What the fuck?_ "No!" screamed out Shaya as she pulled her hair away from Hiten. She gently pushed Kagome aside and fisted Hiten in the face before finishing the job and pummeling him to the ground.

"How many times do I have to say that I don't want you, you sick little pervert? Stay the fuck away, asshole!" seethed Shaya with clenched fists.

"But, Shaya," gasped Hiten as he lay on the ground in pain. "My biggest fantasy is to have two girls dominate me! Oh Kami, Shaya! I need you!"

"Shut the fuck up! Don't ever try to get near me again!" yelled Shaya as she grabbed Kagome's hand and did her best to flee from the scene.

Shaya seemed to have forgotten the destruction that she had wrought upon the field. In her anger, she had not noticed Miroku taking pictures with his cell phone.

The would-be 'monk in training' smiled and took one final shot of Shaya leading Kagome to who knew where. He grinned lasciviously as he clicked through the many shots he had taken of the two girls. The first shot was of Shaya's panties as the Wind Scar had created enough wind to flip up her short skirt. There were numerous shots of Shaya kissing Kagome, before the final shots of Hiten being decked by Shaya and then Shaya pulling Kagome away.

Miroku sighed lustfully. He could only imagine what those two girls were doing together once they had a little privacy. When it came to imagining the fairer sex with no clothes on in compromising positions, he was the master. The would-be-monk really couldn't even control his overactive imagination. He only hoped that he would be able to reel it in enough to snag the most luscious treat of all, Sango. _It's not my fault that I find all women beautiful and irresistible. If I could only keep some fantasies in my head and not act on them for once…_ He grinned to himself while he clicked through his photos on his cell phone again. _I wonder…if I pay them 10,000 Yen next time, can I convince them to take off their clothes?_

Shaya was still dragging Kagome behind her as she stormed off to their dormitory. The miko tried to beg the hanyou to slow down. But, it seemed as if Shaya was too angry to respond to anything.

The silver-haired girl led them into their dormitory. The duo stormed past Tsubaki and her evil glare as Shaya led them into the abode.

A few minutes later, the two girls were safe in their dorm room. Shaya managed to slam the door so hard that the door vibrated on its hinges. All that could be heard in the room was Shaya's heavy breathing as the hanyou started to pace.

Kagome could only touch her lips in amazement. Just minutes beforehand, she had willingly kissed her female roommate—again! _I must be a lesbian…_ "Shaya?" the miko asked as she looked at the madly pacing hanyou girl.

Shaya whipped her head around to stare at Kagome. "What?" she growled.

Kagome drew her hands together and squeezed them. She was looking at the ground as she spoke. "Did you mean it?" Then, she turned to look at surprised golden eyes. "Did you mean what you said to Hiten? Or was that just an act to get him to stop bothering you?"

Shaya just stammered as her confused eyes tried to focus. "Mean what?" she asked.

Kagome looked at the ground again. She swallowed and seemed to have difficulty getting the next words out. "That you like girls, not guys… Is it true?" she asked as her voice trailed off.

"I…I." The hanyou looked at the woman he loved and realized why he hadn't said anything to her since they woke up naked together in the morning. He couldn't lie to save his own skin; he had always worn his heart on his sleeve. He felt the truth seep out of him against his will. "Yeeesss…"

The miko's widened eyes met Shaya's scared and vulnerable orbs. It wasn't the first time the hanyou had stuttered or seemed nervous to be around her. But somehow it seemed to soothe Kagome's fears. She took a step closer to Shaya and pushed up onto her tiptoes to kiss the girl gently on the lips.

This time, it was the hanyou moaning in surprise. _She's not drunk. She knows what she is doing._ He couldn't help but to breathe in deeply. The beautiful, gentle scent of Kagome washed over him, mesmerizing his senses and lulling him into a stupor.

Kagome pulled away, her eyes filled with wonderment. "I always thought I would fall for a man," she whispered with a note of disappointment. The miko touched her lips as if in reverence before looking back up at Shaya from underneath her dark, lacy eyelashes.

Shaya's eyes widened again. _Shit! She thinks we're some sort of lesbian duo._ "You're not a lesbian!" she nearly demanded as she searched Kagome's eyes in desperation.

This time it was Kagome that looked at her in shock. "What do you mean? Do you not want me now? Is it…?" The miko turned to look at her feet again. _I knew it. I'm not the sort of girl that Inuyasha or Hojo would want and I'm certainly not pretty enough for someone like Shaya._ "Is it that I'm not good enough for you?"

"No, Kagome!" the bewildered hanyou bellowed. He grasped her hands in his. "_I'm_ not good enough for you. In fact, you should be dating my brother, Inuyasha. I'm…"

Tears started to well in the miko's eyes. She sniffed and tried to wipe her tears away with her sleeve. "You're just trying to let me down easily. I can't believe that I fell for my roommate. And Inuyasha doesn't want me. Hojo doesn't want me…_you_ don't want me…"

Inuyasha couldn't stand it anymore; his heart was breaking when he saw the girl he loved falling apart in front of him. He was never good with words, so he did the only thing he could think of. His lips—warm and tender—found her tear-stained ones. Then, his mouth pressed against hers, his tongue licking between her lips and asking to be let in. With a hushed sob, the miko parted her mouth for her hanyou. This time, the kiss was gentle and loving. It wasn't until Kagome's tears cleared that Inuyasha drew away from her lips, only to lean his forehead against hers.

"Don't you ever think that I don't want you. All I have ever wanted was you." He pulled away to look into her eyes. "It was you, always you. When I…when I confessed about Kajiro…it was really you I was talking about."

Kagome looked up at Shaya again in bewilderment. "You told me that you had a crush on Kajiro, that you loved him."

Inuyasha sighed against the girl in his arms. "It was you, Kagome. You and you only…I just…"

Inuyasha pulled back to look again at his miko. He smiled at her and brushed the tears away from her eyes with his thumbs. "I just…you're not a lesbian, Kagome." _Please Kami! Don't you dare make my girl into a lesbian! If you do, I'll know that you hate me! _"You're a normal girl and you've had a crush on my brother. Right?"

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement and then looked at Shaya with wonderment. "I 'had' a crush on your brother. But you…" The miko touched her lips again and gazed at Shaya's lips. Inuyasha couldn't help but to swallow in panic. "You saved me, Shaya. When that guy pushed me over the ledge at the mall, you were the one who saved me. I think it was then that I started to have feelings for you."

"What?!" Inuyasha backed away from Kagome. _This is all wrong. She's supposed to like me as a guy, not as a girl. Oh fuck!_

Kagome gathered the hanyou's hands in her even as Shaya was backing up against a wall. She cocked her head to the side as if puzzled. She continued staring at their joined hands. "You were always so adorable, so thoughtful, so protective and such a good friend." She then looked at Shaya's eyes. "Maybe Inuyasha and Hojo just knew something I didn't know."

"Know what?" asked Shaya, perplexed.

Kagome moved even closer, her lips brushing against his. "That I wasn't meant to be with them. I was meant to be with you."

Inuyasha felt his body act on its own accord; he was drawn nearer to Kagome. His entire being was acting like she was a magnet pulling him in, enthralling him with a scent that called to his very blood. _Fuck this! I can't hold out any longer. If she's going to do this to me all fucking year, I'll never be able to push her away every time. I just hope she'll forgive me when the truth comes out._

His lips crashed against hers, and he finally gave up. He gave up fighting against her and gave into the intense desire that was coursing through his veins, a desire that had only been stoked by her teasing and ignited by their brief encounter last night. He wanted her, all of her, for as long as he could have her.

He coaxed her mouth open as his tongue worked its way in. His hands were on either side of her face before one leisurely lowered itself to her neck. It wasn't until his breathing was too heavy to contain and his hands had somehow managed to find their way under her blouse that he pulled back.

"Ka-go-me," he murmured almost as a prayer. "I have to stop. And you…"

The miko looked up at him with curious and loving eyes. "I…what, Shaya?"

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut and then looked at her with such intensity that Kagome felt like her soul was laid bare. "I want to be with you, the Kami know I do. But…"

"But what?" exclaimed Kagome as she pulled her hands away again and placed her arms on her hips with indignation.

Inuyasha sighed as he placed both hands on her cheeks once more, making her eyes look directly into his. "Just promise me that you'll give Inuyasha a chance, OK?"

Kagome only looked up at Shaya in confusion. "What does he have to do with any of this?" she questioned.

The hanyou frowned. "It's just…it's just that I want you to be sure that you're really a lesbian. If Inuyasha asks you out on a date, will you please accept it? For me? Just go out on one date with him?"

The miko furrowed her brow and took a deep breath. "Well, there is no way that he'd ever ask me…" Shaya opened her mouth as if to say something but Kagome put one slender finger against the hanyou's pink lips, effectively stopping her. "But for you, 'if' he ever does ask…I will."

The breath Inuyasha never even knew he had been holding was released. He then smiled timidly at Kagome before putting his hand in hers. He stared at their conjoined hands before looking back at her eyes. "Time for dinner?"

Kagome only nodded in acquiescence and followed her hanyou girlfriend out of the dormitory with a beaming smile on her face.

They made short work of dinner, and the hanyou couldn't help but to peek at his 'new' girlfriend while they ate. _She's mine. Fuck, she's mine! _He had never felt so pleased in his entire life. Yes, she thought he was a girl. But at least he finally had her and now she wouldn't go out with other guys, like that loser, Hojo. He was also fairly certain that he could win her over now that she had agreed to date him as Inuyasha.

Something in the back of his mind tormented him, though. It was telling him to just buckle down and tell her the truth—Shaya rolled her eyes. _Oh yeah! I'll just tell her I'm really a guy, and when she asks for proof I'll just ask her to grab my crotch to prove my point. Oh, that'll go over really well! She won't believe me now, and I can't prove I'm a guy until I can get this damn bracelet off. _Shaya tugged at the pearlescent bracelet again. _Fucking bracelet. Damned Sesshoumaru!_

Kagome's gaze settled on the bangle that Shaya was toying with. "Oh, what's that?" exclaimed his girlfriend as she looked at the bauble.

"Just something my brother gave me," he mumbled as he put his hand back under the table to hide the cursed item.

"That was very sweet of him," replied Kagome. "It's very pretty and I am sure it is worth quite a lot of Yen."

Inuyasha grimaced at her choice of words. _Sweet my ass._ "I hate the damn thing," he grumbled. "But, the prick won't let me take it off. I'm stuck with it on me for an entire year."

Kagome gave him an amused smile. "Oh, come on, Shaya. Brighten up! It can't be that bad. There must be something precious about it if he insisted you to wear it for a whole year."

A crooked smile pulled one corner of his mouth up at her words. _Yeah, there is something good about it._ His heated gaze burned to the side of her face as she obliviously munched on her food. _Something better than I've ever imagined... You._

Soon, they were done with their meal and headed back to their dorm room. Again, their hands were intertwined and a beautiful pink flush adorned their faces.

Shaya didn't know how they would handle going to bed now that they had actually been physically intimate the night beforehand. However, the knowledge that he was really a guy and not a girl kept him from making any overt moves on his new girlfriend.

For the first time, he let his eyes openly wander over Kagome's curvaceous form as she took off her clothes and started to put on her pajamas. Unlike before, he stopped averting his eyes when she looked at him. He just continued to gaze with a pleased smile on his lips.

He was happy when he saw her cheeks burn an even brighter red as she returned his gaze. Gone was the drunken vixen of last night, and in her place stood a shy, timid, yet astonishingly beautiful teenage girl. He watched the way her hair fell in waves as she pulled on a 'Big Dog' T-shirt and the way her red boy shorts inched over her smooth, round hips.

"Aren't you going to change?" Kagome asked with a note of confusion. Inuyasha turned around to see that he had been so pre-occupied with staring at Kagome without any guilt that he had forgotten to get ready for bed.

"Oh yeah, right," Inuyasha added sheepishly as he rifled through his drawers and found his baggiest pair of red sweats. He didn't want to be wearing anything that would hint at a feminine form. More than anything, he wanted Kagome to see him as he really was--as a man, not a woman.

It was with trepidation that he drew the futon covers up on his body while he looked over at his roommate. She looked at him with a puzzled expression and then went to turn off the lights. His gaze followed Kagome across the room. She sat on her bedspread, her leg propped underneath her. She seemed to be combing out her hair with her fingers. He watched as her long ebony hair drifted in and out of her lithe, little hands. He was so enchanted with observing her every movement that he almost didn't catch her next words. They were uttered so low that they were almost a whisper.

"Shaya?" asked Kagome with uncertainty.

"Yes, Kagome," answered Shaya with an equal amount of confusion to her voice.

"Would it be OK?" the miko questioned as she twisted the front of her shirt with her hands. She didn't finish her question and just took a deep breath. Then, her eyes turned to Shaya's in the dark, narrowing in on her roommate. "Would it be OK, if we slept in the same bed tonight?"

Inuyasha felt a whoosh of air leave his lungs and he almost felt like he was choking.

"I mean," Kagome waved her hand at him as if to dismiss her last statement. "I mean, I'm sorry, but I seem to recall how nice it was waking up in your arms this morning. And, I wouldn't mind feeling that again. And I…" Kagome started to fidget and was fingering her hair again. "I don't want to move too quickly or anything. This is all new to me. So, when I say sleep in the same bed, that's all I mean." The miko twisted her face to look away from Inuyasha. Her cheeks were so red that he could easily tell she was embarrassed despite the darkness that enveloped her form.

Deep inside, he noted there was a small amount of disappointment ringing through him. He would do almost anything to have sex with her. But, he looked like a girl right now, and little Tessaiga was not even supposed to exist let alone stand at attention and strain against its confines at her slightest touch or smallest kiss. It wasn't like he could really have sex with her. How was he supposed to explain the little fucker between his legs? Strap-on? Besides, he only wanted to do the deed when they were both fully cognizant that he was a man—not a woman. He pushed the need for sex aside and smiled at her. He pulled his covers back and opened them up for her. "Come in," was all Shaya needed to add.

Kagome grinned before sliding up into the hanyou's futon.

While the miko settled, Inuyasha threw a warning glance at his crotch with a raised eyebrow. _Behave._ He took a deep breath, noting the swirling scents of Kagome erupting around him. They were now curiously attaching themselves to his bed sheets, his clothes, his hair, his body… He really liked the idea of her scent on his body.

He curled in behind her, spooning against her curvy form. Her warm and nearly bare bottom pressed up against his crotch, and he really couldn't control what happened next.

_Oh fuck me!_ Her scent surrounded him and her soft curves molded themselves to his form far too easily. He reacted. Just like he had felt his youki earlier, he could feel his blood pool between his legs, and without a warning, little Tessaiga transformed to its original size. He moved further away so that she wouldn't feel the very male part of his anatomy standing at attention. _Fuck. Blue balls, and I can't even jack off now. Why did I think this was a good idea?_

Kagome sighed with contentment and shifted, pressing her silky smooth bottom into him once more and causing his hips to flinch back. It wasn't long before her breathing evened out, and he could finally tell that she had drifted off into dreamland.

Inuyasha was almost convulsing in agony. She was right there next to him, letting him touch her, her body intimately aligned with his, and he couldn't do anything about it. He shifted his body so that instead of touching her backside, he was lying on his back. In this position, he tried to stroke himself to get rid of the ache. However, Kagome moved again. Her hand nestled into his voluminous fleece top and her head sank against his hard chest. Just as he was about to stroke the hardened agony between his legs, she threw one long limb over his body. She was a monkey in her sleep. She wouldn't let go of him no matter how hard he squirmed.

He stayed awake for another agonizing hour. Each time he tried to relieve himself, she'd wrap her form around his as if she had a motion sensor somewhere under those flimsy clothes she wore. Finally, he gave up trying. _I'm going to take a long shower in the morning. _Eventually he fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of what it would be like to finally make love to Kagome the way he really wanted to.

* * *

Gentle streams of patterned light fell across the seemingly lesbian couple in the morning. Shaya had one hand down her baggy, red sweats, and the other hand placed under Kagome's top, happily squeezing a luscious bosom. Kagome was plastered onto Shaya. Her leg twisted around her roommate's lower half, and her head lay peacefully on the taller girl's well-endowed chest.

"Inuyasha," murmured the miko in her sleep. However, both she and her roommate were too tired to hear the words.

A sudden knock pounded on the door. "Kagome?" a female voice whispered.

Inuyasha was far too tired from restless sleep to be truly coherent. He scratched his privates and then turned to bury his head into Kagome's luscious globes, pushing the damned fabric aside. _Fucking noise. Why won't it stop?_ He sighed happily, somehow forgetting a long night of blue balls as he nuzzled his face into Kagome's warm breasts. He had pushed her shirt up to her chin, exposing her warm round bosom to the air and his appreciative hands and face. _Fucking heaven._

"Kagome?" cried a female voice. This time it was louder than before. The knocks resumed. "I know you're in there!"

"Hummm….," murmured Kagome in an appreciative sigh. "Inuyasha…"

The hanyou was more than pleased with his current situation. He wondered if he was dreaming, since his girl was calling him by his real name and cooing in delight as he stroked her breasts. He figured that as long as he was dreaming, he'd enjoy himself.

His tongue moved languidly to lick her firm, perky peak. She tasted of Kagome with a hint of salt. _Delicious_. He was only half-awake as he heard his miko moaning underneath him, griping his long silver hair in her hands.

Another female voice was then heard. "I really don't think you should be bothering them." Inuyasha quickly dismissed the voices as annoying background noise.

"Kagome. I'm coming in!" This time the female was practically yelling. "Hojo's out in front of the dorms, begging to speak with you. He won't leave and he's driving everyone crazy with his caterwauling."

Inuyasha could only partially register the sound of a door opening as he gave Kagome's breasts another slow lick. He was a dog; he couldn't help it, he'd lick every portion of Kagome's anatomy if he could.

"Kagome! Shaya," blurted out Sango. "What the…?"

Inuyasha whipped his head around from his girlfriend's delectable bosom to Sango's horrified face. "Uhhhh…," he responded with his tongue still hanging out of his mouth.

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she had a shy smile for Shaya before she registered what was going on.

"Kagome, how long has this been going on?" asked Sango. The miko turned to see her good friend and her other two roommates, Kori and Ayame, gaping at her.

"Uhhh," responded Kagome in complete mortification.

Kori gazed at Kagome's breasts in appreciation before Shaya's eyes widened in horror. The hanyou had never reacted quicker to pull down a T-shirt than he did at that moment.

"What the fuck are you staring at, Kori!" yelled Shaya in anger.

Ayame only looked confused and whispered to Kori, "Did you know that Shaya was a lesbian?"

Kori took in the lovely sight before him, which unfortunately was not quite as lovely now that Kagome's top was pulled down. But, he had firsthand experience from his showers with the miko to know what she looked like _sans_ clothing. He only grinned lustfully. "I've suspected for years," he replied. Then, he looked away grimacing to himself. _How in the fuck did the mutt get lucky and I haven't?_

Sango's head whipped back around to look at her best friend. She had known Kagome for years, and the girl had never shown any interest in females. "Uh, Kags?"

Kagome looked up at Sango. Her eyes were begging for understanding, but she couldn't say a word. All she did was tug at her top and nod to her friend.

The demon slayer straightened up her back and looked at the floor sheepishly. "Well, uh. I came to get you because Hojo is begging for you to talk to him, and he's driving this entire dorm crazy. But I'll…I'll just tell him that you've already found someone else."

Kagome's eyes widened at the implications. She should have realized yesterday that her continued advances with Shaya were going to lead to this, but everything had happened so quickly that she was almost as shocked as Sango.

"Oh, and Shaya," added the demon slayer.

Inuyasha's ears perked up in attention even though he looked bewildered with his eyes wide open. _Could this day get any stranger?_

"Kagome is my best friend," Sango stopped looking at the floor in order to look Shaya square in the eyes. She flexed her right arm, exposing her musculature. "I'm glad that she finally found someone. But if you ever hurt my friend…you're going to have to answer to me. Got it?"

Inuyasha quirked his brow in confusion. He looked back and forth between Sango and his girlfriend. _Wait! She's my GIRLFRIEND! _He suddenly smiled to himself with immense satisfaction. "Got it!" Inuyasha responded. He then put his hands to his throat, because a soft feminine voice was erupting from his lips and he knew he was a guy. _Wait, Sango and Kagome see me as a girl and…oh fuck! They think we're lesbians…?_

Inuyasha wasn't able to protest as the door closed as swiftly as it opened. His eyes were left wide open. Shaya and Kagome had now been officially outed as a lesbian couple. _Shit!_

_**

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The Next Chapter:**__ Chapter 12: Puppy Punishments. Sess/Rin and Inu/Kags. It's already written and will be posted within a week._

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: No, don't worry. Kagome is NOT a lesbian. We wouldn't do that to you. We do however, enjoy toying with Inuyasha, making him squirm and love the idea of making both Kagome and Inuyasha as confused as possible. Remember this is a comedy!_

_#2: One of our lovely reviewers, Kinky-hoe, did correct us and let us know that Hiten does indeed have red eyes and not blue ones. Karaumea and Ai discussed it and decided that since the Hiten in this story doesn't eat humans, like a vampire in Twilight, his eyes no longer appear red. And in our story, a vegetarian demon (who does not eat humans for breakfast) is going to have their natural eye color, which we decided in Hiten's case was blue. (This of course, conveniently covers up the fact that we messed up when we first described him. But for the rest of the story he'll have blue eyes! ^_^)_

_#3:The famous 'Marilyn Monroe Subway Scene' from the 'Seven Year Itch' which shows Marilyn's dress being blown upward is at __http :// www . youtube . com / watch?v=6yX4IjBg-XM__._

_#4: 5,000 Yen = 50 USD  
100,000 Yen = 1,000 USD  
500,000 Yen = 5,000 USD_

_#5: Sorry, we meant to put Sess/Rin in this chapter. But don't worry, there will be a big scene between the two of them in the next chapter._

_#6: Here's a great video that has Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura characters interacting. It is simply hilarious. (Keep in mind that the same voice actor plays both Ranma and Inuyasha.) __http :// www . youtube . com / watch?v=inJnkSqNpAY&feature=related_


	12. Puppy Punishments

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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_**Warnings:** Foul language and plenty of limey action._

_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, SplendentGoddess and Blackdeathmessenger!_

_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea_

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**Chapter 12: Puppy Punishments**

Sesshoumaru stood poised outside the entrance of the Seventh Heaven nightclub. He had walked past the establishment for the past three nights and had not dared to walk inside.

He had always kept a cool demeanor, but now his ice-cold façade was fracturing, all because of a petite woman who worked at the club as a stripper. She had been the very woman he had intended to make his mate if she had only stayed with him. However, she had disappeared soon after the death of her father and had never even bothered to contact him. He had feared that she had been kidnapped or perhaps had been killed. He never knew her fate until a tip from a stranger revealed where she had been hiding. _She stayed away from me. She chose not to be with me._

He didn't know what made him angrier. That she had been living a scant 15 minutes away from his work and had never bothered to even let him know that she was alive or that she was working as a stripper, like a common whore.

His blood writhed in fury at the idea of the countless men who had seen his Rin naked. _How many men have seen Rin nude while she's stripped? How many men have touched her body? How many men has she slept with?_

His poisoned claws emitted a green vapor and the flyer for tonight's headlining act started to smoke. Within his hand was a shiny piece of paper regaling the main act, 'The Lady of the West.' It showed a picture of Rin with a white-feathered mask and her body entwined with a large white boa. The paper twisted and turned black before fluttering away with the green vapor.

"I said have you made up your mind yet?" queried a scantily dressed woman at the front of the nightclub.

Sesshoumaru paused to actually take in the woman at the entrance. He supposed that humans would think she was beautiful. She had long brunette hair, a tight red top that barely concealed her generous cleavage, a golden lamé miniskirt and long black boots. But, it was the stench of cigarettes and the lingering smell of cocaine on the girl's body that made him feel revolted. _How do these humans stand it?_

His eyes narrowed at the question, and the girl stamped her high-heeled boot. "Yes," he replied with icy tones. He slapped a 5,000 Yen bill into her hand as he stormed past her and into the smoky bar.

He put his hand over his nose. He could usually smell a flower from over a kilometer away, but not in this stinking hive. He smelled sweat, oiled bodies, smoke, liquor and the telltale smell of arousal that permeated the air. It was so vile he nearly choked.

However, what really made him uneasy was the reason he had come here tonight. The last time he had arrived he had managed to detect her scent. But there were too many bodies and too much of a stench for him to be able to discern how much Rin's unique fragrance had changed.

He didn't want to know, but somehow, he had to know. Who had touched her? Who had violated her? If the stench on her body was strong enough, he was prepared to track down and murder the prick responsible—whether or not it had been consensual.

Sesshoumaru gazed about the room with an impassive glare. A scantily dressed woman was trying to smile at him and get his attention. He ignored her; she was beneath him. He just needed to find the person in charge of this establishment. Some well-placed cash could get him a chance to observe Rin in close quarters, and her scent would tell him everything that he needed to know.

After a few inquiries at the bar, he was introduced to the manager, Bankoutsu. The man had an oily smile and long, dark, braided hair. He was wearing a white kimono with purple and gold trim. The manager dipped his head in a meager bow. "What can I do for you?" the man questioned with an overeager smirk.

Sesshoumaru's cold amber eyes absorbed the scene in front of him. It took more than a few moments for him to speak.

"You have a dancer," the dog demon intoned.

The manager snorted and waved his hand at the stage. "I have plenty of dancers, which one are you interested in?"

Sesshoumaru's lips drew into a thin line. "The one called Rin," he responded as if that was enough of an explanation.

Bankoutsu's face twisted in confusion. "How do you know her real name? No one here knows that." The man paused and stepped back, tapping his fingers on his arm. Before he smiled awkwardly at the demon he considered a client. "What do you want with 'the Lady of the West'?"

The dog demon only stared at the manager with a cold visage. The human in front of him blanched. "I wish to hire her…" was his stoic response.

The manager emitted a barking laugh. "Bah! She doesn't let me hire her out." The man stood back against the bar casually. "I wish I could have." His eyes glazed over as he looked out at the smoky crowd and the dancing platform. "She would have made this place even more money."

Sesshoumaru's fangs managed to peek over his lips, and his clawed hands were gripped tightly against his side.

Bankoutsu continued on his tirade. "But, hey. She doesn't do the extras, if you know what I mean." The man smirked at Sesshoumaru. "Is there anyone else I can interest you with? What about 'Spank-Me Usagi'?"

The dog demon's impassive countenance hid his deep desire to shove his poisonous claws into the man's gut. However, he turned his feelings aside and pulled a few bills from his wallet.

"I want a private lap dance…with Rin," Sesshoumaru ordered while placing 100,000 Yen in the man's palm. "And, I want a separate room, away from this stench."

The manager straightened his back and looked at the cash in his hand with amazement. "I…I want to help you. She just doesn't do that sort of thing. She…"

Sesshoumaru stepped so close to Bankoutsu that the manager felt the icy breath of the demon against his face. He couldn't help but to swallow in alarm. Suddenly, another wad of cash was placed in his palm. He looked down in surprise to see the multi-colored paper. "What? 500,000 Yen?"

"That is my final offer," the dog demon announced. "And you will take it, or things will get very…unpleasant." His claws started to emit green vapors, and the poison from them dipped onto the floor with a hiss.

The frightened manager only grinned at Sesshoumaru greedily. "I'll make sure that she gives you everything you want." Bankoutsu then attempted to slap Sesshoumaru in the back before a warning glare kept the human in his place. The manager backed away from his client and gestured to the black door near the bar labeled with 'PRIVATE' in gold letters. "You can go in there. Find yourself a comfortable seat. I'll make sure that she takes care of all your needs."

Sesshoumaru could only frown at the manager. Somehow, he was secretly relieved that a lap dance wasn't something that she normally did. However, since price seemed to be the only impediment, he wondered how many buyers had paid for her services. Had she fallen into the same disgrace as the other women he had smelled? The majority of the women here smelled of drugs and of multiple sex partners. His stomach recoiled, and he felt ill. _Not. Rin._

He turned to enter the room the manager had indicated. It was dark and was swathed in black and burgundy cloth. There were alcoves with tables that offered a modicum of privacy. He settled into one seat and moved himself with catlike grace as far to the back and the shadows as possible. When Rin entered the room, he didn't want her to see him. All he was going to do was smell her scent. It would tell him everything. If his suspicions were confirmed, he would leave without a word and she would never know that he was there, never know that he had been searching for her for more than two years and never know how betrayed he had felt.

A door slammed shut loudly. He could hear Rin's voice yelling in anger. "I don't know who you think you are, hot shot! But, I'm not giving you a lap dance! I don't do private shows! And I'm certainly not going to sit on your lap. I don't care how much you paid!"

He paused to sniff the air. He was so sure of what he would find, so he was astounded to find the exact opposite—Rin's clean, clear scent. The smell of a cool, pure waterfall cascading down enveloped him and soothed him. Some of his agitation was immediately washed away, and he found his fists were starting to unclench.

There were no drugs poisoning her perfect scent. He sniffed once more, and his eyes widened in astonishment. _No one has touched her since me…_

Rin had been away from him for more than two years, and she had never slept with another man or demon. It had only been him, always him—no one else.

"Go to Bank, and ask for your money back. I don't care who you are!" she shouted.

A bitter smile warmed his lips. "You will come forward and let me look at you, Rin."

The small woman spun around to look at the man who had called her by her name. Her large chocolate eyes grew wide and dazed. The anger that had been coursing through her body seemed suddenly spent. "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered to the shadows.

"Come to me, Rin," he ordered. He was pleased to see her respond hypnotically to his voice. She moved without pause and drew close to the darkened area where he sat. As she walked closer, he was able to make out her features more clearly. The petite woman in front of him wore her long thick tresses in waves down her back. Her slender and curvy body was only sporting a white bikini top with tasseled fringe and a white g-string that barely covered her center. She was wearing white, high-heeled, leather boots that went up to her thighs. The heels gave her the illusion of height and made her legs appear long and shapely.

She looked exquisite. She had never dressed like this for him before. Renewed anger raged through him as he realized that she dressed like this daily for all of the men of the club to see. Her sensuous outfit wasn't for him; it was for other men. Men she paraded before daily with nothing on her but her birthday suit.

He was warring with himself. Part of him wanted to beg her to take him back, to come back home with him. The other part was too angry, too humiliated at her betrayal and her apparent desire to keep away from him. His hurt started to consume him, and he glared his icy gaze at her delectable form. Something inside of him was wounded, and it required that Rin be subjected to the same pain.

"You will sit on my lap, Rin. You will give me what I have paid for," he responded icily.

The fragile girl swallowed nervously, "But, Sesshoumaru."

"Don't you dare call me by my given name," he commanded as his eyes narrowed. "You have no right," he hissed. "Call me 'Lord' if you must." He smirked at the incredulous look in her widened eyes. "Now, I have paid for your services and I require that you fulfill them."

The young woman shook her head. "Just let me…" she pleaded in a whisper as she drew near to him. He could hear her voice tremble while her arm reached out to touch his hand.

He felt light headed as her scent started to enmesh with the air around him. However, he fought against the very aroma that drew him in and calmed him. He pulled his hand away and frowned at her. "Enough. Do as I have paid you to do," he uttered coldly with disdain.

He could hear her heart flutter and watched as her tiny hands fisted by her side. Then, all of the emotion, all of the want and the childlike innocence that she exuded disappeared. In its place was a calm, cool façade—the very one he had seen on stage when she attempted to strip as 'the Lady of the West.' The Rin he knew was now gone, and in her place was someone cold, sensual and calculating. He immediately regretted every harsh word he had just spoken. Part of him knew he should be apologizing to her, but 'Lord Sesshoumaru' never apologized to anyone.

"As you wish, my lord," she answered while looking impassively into his eyes.

He held his breath as he watched her move forward. His eyes were mesmerized by her every movement. Her hips rolled as she walked, and soon, she was right before him. She stood straddled in front of his lap with a sensuous sneer on her lips. She had learned a lot about how to move in the past two years. The knowledge that she wasn't the Rin he had known twisted something deep inside of him, and he scowled at her.

"Dance for me," he demanded as his narrowed golden eyes focused on her soft brown orbs.

With the flexibility he had never known her to possess, she shifted above his lap and kicked up one leg high in a circle above his head. As her leg traveled above him, he couldn't help but to stare at her barely concealed core or the slender leg that passed over his head. The leg landed on the other side of his knee, so that she was straddling only one leg and had her backside to him.

She bent down, crouching as she pushed her rear end up against his crotch. She gyrated her rounded bottom between his thighs, and he wasn't surprised to feel the rush of blood between his legs. Against his will, he was hardening.

"A few rules, my lord," she murmured as she twisted slyly to gaze at him. She let her hands travel from her neck, to cup her breasts, and down her torso. Her hand reached and stroked within her bikini bottom before letting her rear end settle against his growing hardness. "You're not allowed to touch me. There's a camera on the wall." Rin gestured to a small red light blinking against the darkness of the far wall. "They're going to watch everything we do. You see, I can touch you…" And with that her hands drifted toward his engorged length, stroking it.

"Rin!" he gasped. It had been far too long. Two years of celibacy, and he was suddenly aware of how much he wanted her again. How he wanted to feel her walls around him. How much he still loved her… _No!_ He gritted his teeth and focused away from her scent and the body he desired.

He could only see her back as she finished the rules, "I can touch you. And I will touch you," she threatened. She moved even further back against his crotch and his stiff need. Her g-string didn't really cover anything. Her soft, silky bottom was pressed up against his trousers and hardness. He felt himself resting between her two firm and almost bare butt cheeks.

"Remember Sesshoumaru?" she sighed as she continued rubbing against him. "You always liked to take me from behind. Remember when you slid into me? Pounded into me?" He could swear that he heard a smirk in her voice as she reminded him of their past.

Even before Rin, he had been very choosy about whom he associated with. He had only slept with two other female demons. They were good in bed, but he really didn't enjoy their scent, which diminished the experience greatly for him. Then, he remembered the first night he took Rin, her tight virginal form wrapped around his length as he pistoned her from behind. Her lovely scent mixed in so nicely with her arousal, and more than anything, he loved the way she smelled with his sweat and seed entwined within her body.

He loved taking her from behind. He was a dog, he couldn't help it and he could smell the aroma of her sex right under his nose. It was truly the best of both worlds—sexual pleasure and the enjoyment of their unique bouquet.

Her wordplay teased him mercilessly, and then, the subtle scent of Rin's arousal wafted under his nose.

His eyes rolled backward as he started to shove his crotch into her bottom. His fangs crept past his lips again, but this time it was in desire, not anger.

He was surprised and annoyed when her form drew away from him. She turned around and looked at him appraisingly. He was shocked to see her grinning at him with a pleased expression. She straddled him again and then sat snuggly on his lap. This time, they were face to face. She was so light and lithe that he barely felt her weight, but he could feel her presence pressing up against his manhood.

She licked her lips while her hands moved against his dress shirt and under his jacket's lapels. With one smooth motion she pushed up against both shoulders and pushed his charcoal blazer off of him. It tumbled to the floor like discarded refuse. He should have told her to stop, but somehow, he couldn't muster up the will to do so. There was too much cloth between her sweet smelling core and his engorged length. He needed completion.

Rin tugged at his royal purple tie, loosening it and pulling it down so that it hung in a messy discord about his neck. "Remember what I said, you can't touch me," she murmured while her lips teased his elf-like ears and then traveled down his neck.

Her fingers made quick work of unbuttoning his shirt. Her hands moved from his bare chest into both of his sleeves before shoving them down and off his body. He was sitting with her on his lap with no shirt and only a dangling tie that looked like a hangman's noose.

She continued, "And if you do touch me…" she whispered while lathering his now erect nipples, "you will be kicked out of the Seventh Heaven and they will never let you in again. No matter how much you pay." Rin never smiled, but she moved with deliberate grace as she unstrapped his belt and pulled down his zipper. Then, she lifted her body off of his lap, crouching above him by mere centimeters as her hands moved to his waist and pulled his pants down to his shoes.

He knew that he shouldn't let her undress him, but there was just too much clothing between him and what he wanted. Now, all he wore were a pair of satin purple boxers and his tie. She settled down again on his lap, and there were only two thin pieces of fabric between them.

He moved his hands to her hips. He needed to grip onto her in order to grind against her. And while he was at it, only a quick flip of his claws and her g-string would be gone. Just as the tips of his thin lips were about to curve upward for the first time this evening she stepped off of his lap. He was utterly aghast and upset at losing her intimate warmth.

She crossed her arms in front of him, jutting her breasts together in a fairly impressive display. The fringe under her bikini bra jiggled suggestively. Her eyebrows arched in what he absentmindedly thought was a very Sesshoumaru fashion. She started to lecture him.

"I told you once and I won't remind you again. You can't touch me." Her arms dropped to her sides, and she bent down in front of him so that her eyes were at the same level as him. Proud chocolate eyes glared at him. "The next time you try, Bank will be in here before you can even breathe to escort you out of this joint."

He tried to be unflappable; his exterior was always so smooth and collected. However, he couldn't help but to glare at her.

"Now that we understand each other. Now that you know I'm just a trick and you're a John who can't touch me," her last words were said with an increasing amount of venom. "I'll continue."

She sat down on his lap again, rubbing against his engorged ache. Her scent filled his nostrils, and he tried his damnedest to keep from touching the smooth skin that he remembered—the very skin that created the sweet agony he was suffering from. At the moment, he didn't know if he was in heaven or hell or perhaps some purgatory in between.

Just when he thought he couldn't stand the exquisite friction any longer, her small hand reached inside of his boxers to pull out his hardened length. He thought his pale member looked strange against his dark purple boxers. But he didn't have much time to think before she started moving herself against him again.

He had already smelled her arousal, but now he could feel the moisture that was soaking into the flimsy fabric that covered her womanhood. Sesshoumaru never felt as much jealously and anger toward a piece of cloth in his entire life as he did for the meager g-string that separated the joining of their bodies.

Her hand placed him right against her heat with only cotton to stop him. He groaned in excitement as he pushed further and further into her velvety warmth. He swore then and there that he'd break the very fabric with his dick if he had to.

Rin's slender hands caressed his neck as she kissed his chin, his cheeks and his ears, but never his lips. "Remember how you'd take me?" she teased with a lilt to her voice. "Remember what it was like to be inside me?"

He couldn't stand it anymore. "Yes!" he hissed as if in pain. "I remember!" His hands hovered over her waist, his fingers clenching and unclenching close to her skin.

She took off her bikini top. While still holding a string with one hand, she smashed her warm bosom into his. Her warm bare breasts were touching his naked chest and he lost it.

"Rin!" he screamed as he bucked against her and she writhed on top of him. His essence erupted against her bikini bottom and his chest. He felt the warm, goopy fluid hit his chest and then slither down. However, he was too spent to react. He had never felt so exhausted or frail. Though he hadn't slept with a woman in two years, he had certainly taken matters into his own hands more than once. Each time he had imagined Rin as the one he was with, but the real thing was so much better. He realized that he was a hopeless addict as far as Rin was concerned. He needed her.

The warmth of her body left him as she straightened herself off in front of him and readjusted her bikini top. Then she tore his tie off of his neck to clean his jiz off of her lower abdomen.

She stood up before him with her hands resting on either hip. "I'm glad that you remember, you conceited jerk. You never even let me explain!" She whipped his tie at him, slapping him against the chest. He winced, not at the pain, but at her words. "Do you really think I would have left you without a good reason?"

For one of the first times in his life, Sesshoumaru almost felt ashamed. Rin turned on her high-heeled boots to exit the room. The clacking of her heels echoed as she walked away. "I have a show to do, Casanova. Why don't you show yourself out?"

* * *

Headmistress Kaede stared at the small YouTube video on her iPhone. It was of Shaya demolishing the school's track with a 'Windscar.' She winced as the damage came into focus. She turned it off before the camera started to zoom in on Shaya's exposed panties. The iPhone was then pocketed into her jacket.

She sighed before looking at the entire crowd that was gathered at the edge of the field. Most of the students were gaping in astonishment at the utter destruction that had been wrought. Burnt netting, twisted and melted metal, and gaping chasms of torn earth surrounded them.

"Will the responsible party step forward?" asked the headmistress sternly. Her eyes narrowed at the crowd, and she noticed that Shaya was grimacing. Since no one spoke up, she continued, "Everyone in this PE class will be serving detention for the next two weeks, unless someone cares to take responsibility for their actions."

Kaede smirked as the student body before her stirred and moaned.

Inuyasha grimaced. He knew that he didn't have the money to cover the ridiculous amount of damage that he had done. In fact, he barely had enough money to take Kagome out on a date. But, he would never cause Kagome any undue harm, not if he could help it. Detention would take her away from her family, and that would truly upset her.

Shaya stepped forward, away from the crowd and stopped in front of the headmistress. "I did the damage." She leveled her amber eyes directly at Kaede. "Take the punishment out on me instead."

Kaede's severe face softened, and one eyebrow was raised. "So, you are mature enough to take responsibility for your actions, Shaya. You understand that the punishment will be severe?"

Shaya only kicked the scruff of her Mary Jane shoes into the ground. While she looked at her feet, she nodded her head in acknowledgement. _Shit! How am I ever going to pay for this?_

Kagome was both relieved and saddened that Shaya was going to take the fall. She just wondered what the girl would be able to do about the field that looked like it had been deliberately torched after an earthquake.

"Shaya-kun!" a voice cried out over the gathering. "There you are!"

"What?" questioned Kagome. _Shaya-kun? Only boys are addressed with a 'kun.'_

Everyone turned to see a lovely woman of an indeterminate age who was the epitome of elegance and grace. She had long, ribbon-like, black hair that fell down nearly to her knees and shimmering violet eyes. She was wearing a stylish, three-layered silk kimono. The outer kimono was white with blushes of pink at the edges. Across her narrow waist was a golden obi bound with a silken red cord. A stylized print of a grey dog demon sprinted across the side of her dress.

The woman moved as slowly as her dainty geta clad feet could carry her toward the scene of the crime. Everyone assembled at the field watched her progression, especially an amber-eyed dog demon. Inuyasha blanched as he saw his mom come face to face with his latest debacle. Izayoi looked over the field, and her eyes grew wide with astonishment. Inuyasha could only cringe; he was quite certain that he would be subjected to a tongue-lashing. But, he was even more worried that his days at the 'Shikon All Girls School' were at an end.

He was amazed that he actually wanted to stay there and be with Kagome. _Hell, she's my girlfriend now!_ The thought that he would have welcomed staying at an all-girls school would have mystified him even a few weeks ago. Now that he had gotten to know Kagome and enjoyed being her roommate, he really didn't know what he would do if he had to be separated from her again. He fidgeted and wished he had his sword at his side. It would have calmed his nerves.

His mother's perfectly sculptured brow arched in amusement. "Now, Shaya!" The older woman admonished. "What is your dad going to say to all of this damage?"

Shaya only shook her head in misery. _Fuck! Now I'm royally screwed!_

Kaede looked back and forth between the parent and child with a pleased expression. "You are more than welcome to carry out Shaya's punishment, Takahashi-san."

The hanyou looked up sorrowfully at her mother. "I'm sorry, Mom. I know that I have disappointed you before. But, I was really upset and I was so excited to finally wield the 'Wind Scar.'"

Izayoi's lips tightened. "I will be dealing with you shortly." She turned to Headmistress Kaede, who seemed very pleased with Shaya's new-found humility.

Izayoi Takahashi looked over at Kaede first and bowed politely. "The Takahashi Corporation will be happy to construct a new and improved track and field that will put any college stadium to shame."

"What?" exclaimed Shaya. "I thought…"

Izayoi chanced an icy glare at her son. The meaning was clear. He was to stay silent. Inuyasha's heart fell deep into his chest. _Please don't take me away from Kagome!_

"Headmistress Kaede, if you don't mind, I need to take Shaya with me, so that I can work out a proper punishment." Izayoi and Kaede bowed slowly to each other. Kaede tried to hold back a smile as Izayoi pulled her daughter off the field by her ear.

"Ouch, ma! Not the ears!" screamed the hanyou in embarrassment. Several girls in the audience giggled nervously as they watched the pair leave. Only one young miko left the group to follow after Shaya.

"Oh, now don't take that tone with me, young man," Izayoi managed to whisper while still tugging at the abused ear. She was making her way to a limo near the edge of the track. Shaya only followed along with her head bowed in abject misery.

_Crap! She's going to take me to see dad. I bet they're going to leave me on some deserted island. I'll never see Kagome again!_

His mother's face was hard and stern as she launched into a lecture. "You haven't bothered to call your mother in two whole weeks, and now I see that you have a girlfriend."

"What? Mom? Girlfriend? How did you…?" he asked in complete confusion.

Izayoi grinned and Inuyasha was startled by her abrupt change in demeanor. "Your dad is so pleased. We saw the video last night on YouTube; Kaede was very helpful in forwarding it to us. You finally managed to summon a Windscar!" She sighed happily. "I always knew that you had it in you. And who was that cute girl that you were kissing?"

Inuyasha's face turned bright red and he suddenly found the dirt near his shoe to be extremely intriguing. "I can't believe that you saw that. This is fucking embarrassing!"

"Language!" Izayoi grabbed his aching ear again and tugged harshly. "You are a young lady now, and young ladies do not use those words!"

He tried to keep from rolling his eyes. _I'm a fucking guy, not a girl!_ "Stop it, Mom. I'm sorry. I'll…"

Izayoi pursed her brows together, and Inuyasha knew that she was not about to relent. "You better be after this latest disaster." Then, she paused and tapped her fan against her hip. "How much damage have you done in this past month, anyway? First was Naraku's casino, which you demolished, then the security guards, who are hospitalized and now you destroyed your school's track and field! I must find the proper punishment for all of this damage you have done." She waved her fan and gestured in a wide arch to the field that had been demolished behind them. Inuyasha noticed a stray burnt net from the soccer goal fluttering in the wind.

Shaya tried to get a word in edgewise. "Ma, you see…"

"See what?" continued his mother. "See that you have done billions of Yen worth of damage AGAIN!" Shaya flinched at her words. Then, Izayoi's voice changed to more soothing tones. "But your father and I are willing to forgive this little trespass…"

"Little trespass…?" questioned Shaya as she rubbed her abused ear.

"All because you mastered the Windscar! And, because I am so happy that you have finally found a cute girl." Izayoi moved up to her 'daughter' and pinched her cheek.

"Owww, Mom," murmured Shaya with a small amount of petulance. She crossed her arms.

Inuyasha smelled Kagome's scent long before he heard her shoes scruff against the pebbled sidewalk. "Shaya?" questioned Kagome as she approached the duo off the field.

Izayoi's eyes shone with sheer joy as she looked at Kagome. "And who might you be? Oh?" Mrs. Takahashi asked. "You're Higurashi-san's younger daughter, aren't you?" Shaya's mother moved forward to grip Kagome's hands in hers. "Kagome, right? You have grown up to become such a lovely young lady." Izayoi stepped back and grinned at Kagome.

Mrs. Takahashi glanced at her son. "Now, my darling Puppy-chan," said Izayoi.

"Puppy-chan?" asked Kagome, her mouth agape.

"Mother!" exclaimed Inuyasha, his face turning beet red.

"Oh pooh! You have no right to be upset. You've done major structural damage to this place, and we're paying to have it fixed." Izayoi paused as if in thought as she tapped her fan against her chin. "You need to be punished, and I'm afraid that you're going to have to face the music."

"What is it, Mother?" glared the hanyou at his Mom.

She only turned around to beam at him. "Follow me, Shaya-kun! We're going shopping! I've been meaning to go to the Roppongi Hills district, and you are to carry all of my bags for the entire day. And you will try on all of the clothes that I pick out for you! " She paused and then smiled back at her son. "Even if they're pink and frilly!"

"But, Mom!" exclaimed Shaya in exasperation.

"No buts, Shaya-kun! And bring your lovely friend with you; we just have to talk! We'll have tea afterwards…" Izayoi's voice trailed off as she walked off the field and toward an awaiting black limo.

Shaya groaned as he hurried after his mother and dragged Kagome along with him.

After a quick limo ride into downtown Tokyo, the trio found themselves at the Roppongi Hills district. Izayoi gracefully slid out of the car with the driver holding her hand. Shaya followed along in a grouchy huff. Kagome just stared wide-eyed at the fabulous array of shops, many of which she knew that someone with her limited income should not even think of entering.

Izayoi motioned for the two girls to follow her into a building labeled, Giorgio Armani. The teenaged girls looked on in confusion as the older woman quickly had a saleswoman helping them choose clothes for Shaya and Kagome.

Shaya could only look on in utter dismay as a large pile was accumulated for her. Practically everything that was gathered was a pink dress or skirt. His mother only smirked at her son as she continued to pick out the clothes.

"I'm not going to wear any of this!" frowned Shaya as she looked up at her Mom.

But her mother only smiled. "Not only are you going to wear it, I have a mind to take you to my next formal tea with Moroboshi-san and her son, Ataru, in this little pink number!"

Shaya's eyes widened in horror. "Mom, you wouldn't dare! Ataru is a letch. He can't keep his hands off of any girl he sees."

His mother flittered about and pulled another hot pink miniskirt off of the racks. "You need to think about this the next time you do billions of Yen worth of damage. I think a long tea with Ataru will help to cure you of your blatant tendency to utterly disregard everything your parents have taught you." Izayoi turned and pressed the short miniskirt up against his thighs. "Oh, yes. This one is simply adorable. You have got to try it on!"

Shaya rolled her eyes. "I am not trying it on, mother!"

His mother raised an eyebrow at him. "You know, Shaya. All my life I have dreamed of shopping with my daughter. Buying her princess clothes and pink outfits. You are going to indulge your mother's fantasy right now, especially considering the many messes that you have gotten in!" Izayoi shoved the miniskirt and the frilly, poets blouse at her daughter. "Dressing room. Now!" she ordered while pointing to the sign at the end of the hall that said 'Women Only.'

Inuyasha sighed in exasperation as he moved toward the dressing room. Kagome followed dutifully, with a number of outfits slung under her arms. Izayoi had been just as insistent that Kagome try on some new outfits as well.

Shaya walked into her cubicle and threw the clothes she was wearing on the floor. Looking at the miniscule mountain gathered at his feet, she groaned miserably.

"Shaya?" Kagome whispered hesitantly as she knocked on her roommate's door. "Are you all right?"

The hanyou jerked the door open and scowled. "No, I am not all right. My mom is blackmailing me into wearing this crap. I hate skirts and I hate pink and I hate…"

"Shaya-chan!" exclaimed Kagome as she put her arms around her roommate. Inuyasha was instantly soothed as he basked in her scent and sniffed at her hair. His anger that had been so palatable had now virtually evaporated. He took a deep breath and squeezed Kagome tighter to him.

"Thank you, Kagome. It's just that I can never please my parents. I feel like an utter failure."

"Shaya," Kagome murmured while she put both hands around the sides of the hanyou's face. "It's OK. Just try on the clothes. It'll make her happy. And you're not a failure! You're my best friend, and the one I…" Kagome paused, the words stuck in her throat. She had nearly said the one she loved, but that wasn't right, was it? She was just getting used to the idea of _liking _Shaya 'like that'. Wasn't it too soon for love? Still, Kagome knew she cared for the hanyou girl, whatever it was.

"The one you…?" Shaya questioned, eyes wide.

"Care for." Kagome answered with a smile before her sweet lips found his. Then he was lost again. Lost in her scent, her soft form, her tenderness…

He didn't know how many moments or minutes had passed before Kagome drew away from him, leaving him feeling strangely bereft. She looked up to him tenderly before motioning to her stall. "I better try on my clothes. Let me know if you need any help."

Shaya grabbed her before she could walk away. "There's no need to leave, Kagome," Shaya whispered. "Could you help me get dressed?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ahem!" The two teenaged girls were startled out of their reverie when they noticed Izayoi walking toward them. "I think that I will be helping you get dressed, Shaya," stated her mother. The older woman quickly moved in next to her daughter and started to shove her into the stall.

Inuyasha only stood petulantly with his arms crossed while Izayoi gathered a pink miniskirt in her hands.

"I'm not wearing that, Mother!"

Izayoi quirked a brow at her daughter and gracefully sat down on the leather bench in the dressing room. "I know that you don't want to, but you will anyway."

"Oh and why is that?" responded Shaya as she turned her back on her mom.

"Because I know that you would like a new laptop," she paused while Shaya took a sudden intake of breath. "And…if you behave, I will also buy one for Kagome."

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's mind raced. Kagome had to work hard for everything she had. She certainly wasn't lacking for food or clothing. But she didn't even have a computer at home or at school. He also knew how costly the Shikon education was and the Higurashi's were shrine keepers, not millionaires. "That would be very nice, Mother."

His mother wore a satisfied smile as she motioned for Inuyasha to disrobe. With a defeated sigh he started to pull his sailor blouse off and then his small, green skirt. His mother moved in quickly to pull the blouse over her daughter's head. But, she quickly found that it was too small.

"Why doesn't this fit you? You look like a size 11!" asked Izayoi in astonishment.

Inuyasha crossed his arms again. "Mom, I hope that you remember who I really am. My size hasn't changed at all."

"Oh!" murmured Mrs. Takahashi. However, she was not easily dissuaded and quickly had the sales lady grab all of the apparel that had already been chosen in women's size '17.'

Izayoi wore a pleased smile as she buttoned and zipped up her 'daughter.' Soon, Inuyasha looked at himself in a mirror. He blanched to see a very hot, silver-haired chick looking back at him. The busty woman had a tight, hot pink miniskirt on, a white poet's blouse that exposed her ample cleavage and a pair of tall pink boots. "Mother!" he yelled in exasperation.

"Oh pooh!" answered Izayoi as she gently hit him with her fan. "I always wanted to dress up my daughter in pink clothes. Just consider yourself lucky that I didn't take you to the Disney store to try on princess fashions."

Inuyasha's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.

A gentle smile returned to his mom's face. "You can put your regular clothes back on." She waited for a moment and then started speaking again. "Now, Inuyasha. We need to talk about Kagome."

Shaya blanched and could see the color drain from her face in the mirror.

"I am very happy that you have found such a pretty young lady. And I always knew that Kagome was the one for you."

"What? How did you?"

Izayoi waved her fan in the air again. "You never reacted to a girl the way you acted around her. Constantly stuttering, looking at her every time she looked away. And, don't think that I don't know about the times you hid in that tree on the Higurashi grounds to spy into her room!"

"What? Don't remind me about the stuttering…and I…"

Izayoi's fan pressed against his lips. "She's your mate, Inuyasha. Your reaction has been perfectly normal." She paused again and straightened her kimono skirt. "But, doing large amounts of damage to properties because you were frustrated is not normal. I expect that now that we have the two of you in close proximity again, you will finally calm down."

"Mate?" Inuyasha asked, surprised. _She's my mate? _As comforting as that thought was, he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the idea of it. After all, he was still a teenager. "Uh, Mom? Isn't it a little too early to be talking about that?"

Mrs. Takahashi raised her eyebrows at the hesitantly uttered question. "Yes, it is," she agreed. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, causing Inuyasha to cower under her suddenly piercing gaze. "And, that's why I'm warning you now," she started before waving her closed fan toward the teenager's lap. "Keep little Tessaiga in its sheath, young man."

"Little what?!" he cried out incredulously. "How-how did you know what I called _it_?"

"Called what?" asked the woman curiously.

"_It_," he repeated hoping she would understand. _Damn! I'm talking to my mother about my dick. This is embarrassing!_ However, Izayoi continued to look at him blankly. "_It_, Mom," he growled as he motioned toward his crotch with his head. His face was beet red by now, and he felt slightly lightheaded.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, well, I didn't. It's just a habit." After she said that, her cheeks flushed a little and she started fidgeting with her fan. The uncharacteristic display of discomfort threw the hanyou off. "Umm…" she started even as she reddened a little more. Taking a deep breath, she finally blurted out, "It's what your dad calls his."

"He what?!" cried out Inuyasha in horror. "Dad calls his dick 'little Tessaiga' as well?!" Izayoi tried to shush the traumatized boy at his outburst, but it was now possible that half of the Roppongi Hills knew about the nickname for the privates of Takahashi Inc.'s esteemed CEO.

"Oh, Kami!" groaned Inuyasha after his mother let go of her hold over his mouth. "My poor ears! I don't think I'll be able to touch that sword for a while now."

After a few minutes and countless deep breaths, the hanyou sat calmly on the bench. "Mate, huh?" he muttered distractedly. His brows furrowed then, and he asked, "But, Mom. Kagome thinks I'm a girl! Do you know how damned hard this is for me?"

His mother smirked. "Well, that is your fault for getting Naraku so angry at you. And besides, it'll keep you two from consummating things."

He groaned and put his head in his hands. "I don't know what I'm going to do, Mom. I love her; I want her. And she says..."

"Yes?" prompted Izayoi.

Shaya swallowed nervously. "She says that she's a lesbian!"

"What?" exclaimed Mrs. Takahashi in astonishment. She rapped her fan across her lap in apparent frustration. "That can't be true. Mates are supposed to be heterosexual. Oh dear…" Izayoi paused and looked at her daughter.

"Oh dear, what? Mom?" asked Inuyasha in exasperation.

Izayoi sighed. "The call must have her confused. It's very strong, and you do look like a very pretty girl."

"Then take it off of me, Mom! I can't have her being confused. I want her to want me as a guy, not as a girl!"

Izayoi shook her head. "Naraku is still out there, and he has a price on your head. Your life depends on you hiding. We think it will take about a year to clear this up. Perhaps we can get you and Kagome off to a trip to the mainland or Australia once everything's back to normal. Sesshoumaru will take the bracelet off then."

Inuyasha sat in his misery and twisted the hated bracelet.

"And if you ever do more monumental damage like you did today…"

"Yes," muttered Inuyasha in exasperation.

"I will make you wear this hot outfit and I will take you out to tea with Ataru Moroboshi."

Shaya's eyes widened in horror. "No! No! I'll be good, Mom!"

His mother's eyes softened, and she patted her son on his knee. "Get dressed. I'm going to take you and Kagome to tea on top of the Grand Tokyo Hyatt."

Inuyasha grudgingly pulled on his school uniform again. Once his socks were pulled up, he heard Kagome's frantic knocking. He pulled the door open rapidly to look down on Kagome's flushed face. Her lips were trembling, and she clutched her pink phone in her shaking hands.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" he asked.

"My sister! It's Rin! She's crying!" said Kagome in astonishment. "She's here in Tokyo and she wants to see me!"

* * *

***Reviews are almost as good as a Sess/Rin lap dance.***

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_**The Next Chapter:**__ Chapter 13: Busted. A new moon, a hot spring and some nudity. We'll see you then!_

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Traditionally you can append a girl's name with –chan and a boy's name with –kun. It's a term of endearment, usually used by relatives or very close friends. The exception is if the boy is really small and exceptionally cute, then you can add a –chan to his name. (But he would probably prefer –kun.)_

_#2: Japanese Clothing size 11 is US size 8 and European size 38. Japanese Clothing size 17 is US size 14 and European size 44._

_#3: Did anyone notice that we had characters from Urusei Yatsura and Sailor Moon in this chapter?_

_#4: Ataru Moroboshi is a character from Urusei Yatsura (Rumiko Takahashi's first work from the 1980's). He's just as lecherous as Miroku, but without the inner wisdom. Urusei Yatsura is a science fiction comedy with (does this sound familiar?): a love triangle, a beautiful miko, a Buddhist monk and a letch. Here's the first episode: __http :// www . youtube . com / watch?v=XMpeOWmydNo_


	13. Busted

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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_Warnings: Foul language and some nudity.  
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Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, Blackdeathmessenger and SplendentGoddess!  
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__Co-authored by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi  
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This chapter includes characters from the comedy Ranma 1/2 (another Rumiko creation). If you don't know of the series, it is about a guy (Ranma) who has been cursed when he falls into the Jusenkyo springs. Now whenever cold water is thrown on him, he becomes a red-haired, busty girl. Hot water changes him back into a guy. As the series progresses numerous characters are cursed. The other cursed character that you will see in this chapter is Ryoga, a guy cursed to become a pig (P-chan) whenever he is drenched in cold water._

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**Chapter 13: Busted**

"Tell me."

"No."

"Tell. Me," demanded Kouga through his clenched teeth.

Inuyasha's muffled voice came behind the blouse covering his head as he struggled to put it on. "There is nothing to tell, idiot."

"You got her into bed with you, didn't you?" shot back the wolf demon. "There must be some way…and, for the love of Buddha, stop flaunting your tits in my face!"

Inuyasha shut him up with a glare when he finally managed to get his arms into the sleeves of his blouse and his head out of the collar. He snorted as he pulled his shirt down. "Why? Am I turning you on?" he taunted.

Kouga went beet red before he forced out a chuckle. "As if! You're disgusting me, you ugly mutt."

However, Inuyasha saw right through his façade. "Fuck! I _am_ turning you on, aren't I?" He made a gagging sound as he pointed his finger to the wolf demon. "I don't believe this shit! You're such a pig!" He snickered at Kouga's aghast expression as he straightened his shiny silver locks with his fingers.

"Will you fucking tell me already?!"

"Drop it, wolf-shit. I don't have time for this. Kagome's waiting for me downstairs. We have a _date_." It wasn't a real date; Kagome was going to meet Rin, and he was accompanying his _girlfriend_ to make sure she would be all right. But, the wolf did not have to know that.

"See!" shouted Kouga. "That's what I'm talking about! Tell me how you do it!" The wolf demon was now pleading.

"Why? So that you can get _your_ roommate into bed?" questioned Inuyasha with a quirk of his brow.

Kouga stammered as he blushed once again.

"Oh, shit!" laughed Inuyasha. "You want to seduce _Ayame_?" he asked incredulously. A warning growl was the only answer he received, confirming his guess. He shook his head as he chuckled at his friend's misery. "Good luck with that."

Still chuckling, he winked and blew a kiss to Kouga, whose eyes widened in horror. Now laughing out loud, Inuyasha flicked his hair over his shoulder and left the room and the grumbling wolf in it with an extra sway to his hips.

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Rin sat in front of Kagome. The older sister was morosely picking at the multi-layered coconut cake on her plate. The siblings were sitting at a teashop in downtown Tokyo, sharing a pot of Genma-chai tea. The younger sister watched her attentively, except for an occasional surreptitious glance at her roommate, who was seated close by.

Shaya was observing the reunion in seclusion, cautiously sipping her tea. A pink-colored mochi sweet was arranged on a snowflake-like doily on the plate in front of her. However, she ignored the dessert and instead became engrossed in the conversation between the two sisters.

Kagome smiled furtively at her roommate before her gaze passed back to Rin. The miko noticed how her sister had changed during the intervening two years. Rin still had the same wavy, shoulder-length brown hair, and her eyes were still intensely brown. However, now her eyes were inky pools of sorrow and her petite body looked like it was bearing a heavy weight.

"Onee-chan," murmured Kagome as she reached her hand out to her sister's. "Please, come back home."

Rin trembled visibly when her sister's hand clutched hers, and she shook her head. "I can't, Kagome. I shouldn't even be seeing you. I don't want you to get pulled into all of this. I just…I just needed someone to talk to." The petite woman gazed back at her sibling, her large eyes serious and demanding.

Kagome shook her head in confusion. "What's wrong, Rin, and why can't you come back home?"

"What's wrong?" Rin asked despondently as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Where do I start?" She started to ramble, "My dad has been murdered; my former fiancé thinks that I am a slut…"

"What? Rin-chan? Slow down. Dad was murdered? What is this about Sesshoumaru?"

Rin turned her face away from Kagome, and some severe epitaphs came from her innocent looking lips. "Sesshoumaru came to see me." She looked at her sister pleadingly. "He finally found me and he was angry. I mean, eventually I was going to tell him where I was…"

"You're not making sense, Rin. What happened?"

Rin sucked in a deep breath. "He told me that I could only call him 'Lord.' That I couldn't call him Sesshoumaru anymore... Then he…then he…"

Kagome's eyes narrowed in concern. She leaned forward to hold her sister's hand as if to steady her.

"He treated me like I was a whore, Kagome." Rin's hand covered her eyes again, and then the sobs wouldn't stop. Kagome could only lean forward to hug her sister. She pressed the other girl's head in the nook of her shoulder and stroked her hair.

"But why would he do that, Rin? We all knew that he loved you," Kagome paused, and her brow furrowed in thought. "Was he angry about you being away for so long?"

"It was more than that, Kagome," answered Rin in a low voice. "He thought that I was a prostitute and he treated me like one."

Kagome shook her head in confusion. "Why would he think that? You're not like that…"

Rin laughed humorously. "So much has changed during the past two years. He…he had a reason to think what he did…" Then, she continued in a whisper, "…even if it wasn't true." The older sibling steadied herself. "Now, I don't think we can even bridge the gap that two years has created.

Rin's eyes watered with tears. "He hates me, Kagome. And, I love him, Kami, I do…" Her final words trailed off into a few muffled sobs as the girl started to cry.

Kagome couldn't think of anything to say at the moment and just hugged Rin, cradling her in her arms and trying to help her ride out the storm of her emotions until the sobbing eventually stopped.

"Rin," murmured Kagome with deep concern in her voice and adorning her features. "I don't know what to do. But I want to help. Is there anything that I can do?"

Rin moved away from her sibling and dabbed her eyes with the paper napkin next to her cake. "Right now, all I need you to do is listen." She looked up at her sister with the first genuine smile Kagome had seen on her face that day. "Maybe if you'll meet with me on occasion, just so that I have someone to talk to. I don't want to involve you or anyone else in this."

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "Involved in what, Rin? And you never answered my question about why you think that dad was murdered."

Rin exhaled sharply, as if to catch her breath, before she looked the younger girl in the eye. "I'm going to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't say a word to mom or anybody else." When Kagome started to protest, Rin pressed on, "Promise me." Receiving a stiff nod in answer, she continued in a hushed voice, "Dad was murdered, Kagome, and I've been trying to bring the responsible party to justice."

The miko shook her head in denial. "But Rin, we know that he died in a boating accident, during one of the shipment inspections that he did for the government."

Rin motioned to Kagome to move forward so that their faces were mere centimeters away from each other. She spoke again, but this time she whispered. "Dad was a government worker, but he was with the Police Security Bureau. It wasn't the accident that they claimed it to be. I'm working to solve his murder. I just need a little more time."

The younger sister's eyes widened and then narrowed. "What evidence do you have? You can't just make these accusations and not have proof."

Rin sat back in her seat and fingered the fork in her hand, looking at the way light reflected back and mirrored the surrounding area on its silvered surface. Her eyes then looked up to catch Kagome's. "I have proof. I have been collecting it during the past two years. I even have dad's badge from the Police Security Bureau. Mom knew about it. She knew all along. They just didn't want us to be worried, I guess. But I knew since I was in high school, even if they never told us about it. And when he died, I delved a little deeper and found something far bigger than a simple murder."

"Rin, this sounds dangerous! Why don't you take this to the cops? Turn in the evidence you have collected and let them handle it."

The older sister shook her head from side to side, umber-brown hair swept back and forth. "No, I don't have enough evidence yet, and everything will be lost if someone else meddles in my investigation so far. They trust me now, and I'm going to use that to my advantage."

"Onee-chan, you're just not making sense," Kagome pleaded. "Please, come home."

Rin smiled and stood up. For once, her petite form towered over the younger girl's. "I'll come home when my father's murderer is behind bars, but not until then. Thank you for meeting with me, Kagome. I think I needed a shoulder to cry on." She smiled a half smile and hugged her sibling. "I have to get back to what I was doing. I will call you again. Until then, take care."

"Yes, take care, Rin-chan," murmured Kagome in confusion as she watched her sister walk away from her.

It only took a second for a significant look to pass between Kagome and Shaya. Inuyasha could easily see within his girlfriend's sad eyes that she was asking him to do something, and he knew instinctively that it meant to trail Rin. He stood up and left some Yen at his table before walking over to Kagome. Very briefly, he kissed her on the cheek before cupping her chin. "I'll follow her and I'll let you know where she's going, OK?"

Kagome only nodded as her warm, brown eyes gazed at his with gratitude. Inuyasha gathered Kagome's hands in his. "I'll be back, OK? Please, take care of yourself."

With that, he walked out the teashop's doors, following Rin's footsteps. He was amazed to see how quickly a little sprite like Rin could move. She even seemed to be deliberately trying to ditch anyone who could possibly be following her. She moved between alleyways that he knew could not be safe and walked past stinking mounds of garbage that would obscure her scent. He soon took to following after her on the buildings and railings above. The girl had been looking over her shoulder far too many times for it to be a coincidence.

He found that she did not take a direct route and almost lost her in the myriad of passageways through the Tokyo underground Metro system. Soon, they were above ground again, and he noted that they were fairly close to the Tokyo Tower. After a few sharp turns, he followed Rin into another alleyway and watched as she opened the door and walked into a building that seemed familiar.

He didn't want to follow her immediately and he knew that his sense of smell could still trace her. So, he walked around to find the front of the building in order to place it in his memory. He was floored to see a skimpily clad lady up front who was smoking a cigarette and a marquee that read, 'the Seventh Heaven.'_ Oh Shit!_

He sped to the back entrance again, the very same one that he had raced out of once in high-heeled stilettos. He knew what was on the other side, a hallway leading to various rooms that were for employees only. Cautiously, he turned the doorknob slowly and peered inside. _Empty. Good._ He sniffed the air and let his nose lead him to where Rin had been. He noticed, perhaps a bit too late that his sense of smell was diminishing. He could barely detect Rin's telltale scent. However, he could tell that she had just walked into the dressing room in front of him. The one labeled with, 'Women Only.'

He turned the knob and took two steps into the room. It took only a second for the heavy stench of perfume to envelope his senses. He was also bombarded with the chaotic sight of nearly naked girls with shimmering busts running around among a throng of mirrors, feather boas, shiny pieces of thongs, and leather accessories. Then, he felt a familiar tingle in his veins, and his body pulsed once, and then twice. He blinked, and suddenly, everything became dull. The light was less blinding, the ruckus was less irritating and the air was less stifling. He knew very well what that meant, and his eyes widened in panic. _Fuck! The new moon!_

A young woman sporting a pink wig with glitter on her bare skin looked up at him. She smirked. "What's up, honey? Did you lose your way?"

This time a girl with fluorescent green hair responded while taking a drag of her cigarette. "The drag queens are down the street, dear."

Another woman chimed in; she was only wearing a leather corset and black boots. "Or did you need fashion advice?"

The room suddenly erupted with feminine snickers.

Inuyasha shook his head in confusion. "Huh?" A very male sounding voice came from his throat. He turned to look at the full-length mirrors that adorned the changing room only to gape in astonishment. Facing him was his very human and very male form. As usual, he could see his long, ebony mane, his violet eyes and masculine form. For the briefest of seconds, he was downright giddy.

_Damn! I'm a guy again! Wait until Kagome sees me! We can finally go out on a date!_ He started to flex his muscles that were hidden under his very feminine blouse before he fully realized the trouble that he was in. He turned around to see a number of scantily clad women in various forms of dress and undress. Some were looking at him haughtily, some were laughing at him, some were glaring at him in annoyance, and a couple of them were checking him out. He really didn't know which gawking stare he disliked the most.

He looked at himself again. _Human male form. Check. Schoolgirl's blouse, miniskirt and Mary Jane shoes. Oh, shit!_ His head whipped around in bewilderment at himself and the plethora of women who were looking at him like he was an unwelcome intruder.

The first girl with the pink wig grinned in nonchalance. "Nice skirt, by the way." She turned her back to Inuyasha and yelled at the open door at the end of the room. "Hey, Jakotsu. Someone seems to have lost their way down here."

A sickening sweet voice called out. It was definitely male; however, the guy was speaking in a high-pitched tone, as if he was trying to sound like a woman. "What do you want, honey? Is some bad boy bothering you again?"

The girl in the pink wig giggled. "Oh, he's not too much of a bother. But, he's more your type. Why don't you come up here and meet him?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "What do you mean, his type?"

The girl raked her eyes up and down his form, noting his short green mini-skirt, which displayed his powerful looking male thighs and the way his solid, flat male torso stretched his gossamer-thin white blouse. "Honey," she drawled. "You are exactly the type of guy that 'Jak' loves."

"What?" gasped Inuyasha worriedly. He turned around just in time to see a woman (or was it a man?), entering the girls' dressing room.

He noted the 'guy' was wearing a woman's white kimono that was split down the front, revealing one hairy leg. His shoulder-length black hair was drawn up into a messy bun behind his head, and blue makeup resembling tears cascaded down his cheeks past his eyes. The man whistled in appreciation as he drank in Inuyasha's form and the long manly legs that were barely concealed by his miniskirt.

Inuyasha's hackles rose in irritation as the creepy guy blatantly checked him out. It was bad enough to have guys after him when he looked like a girl, but he learned to live with that to some extent. But now that he finally looked like himself again, he didn't feel like dealing with this shit. Besides, this 'Jak' person was not dreaming of a vagina when he looked at him, but his very own and very male ass. And, _that_ definitely didn't sit well with the hanyou. He could feel the rage boiling within his chest as his eyes narrowed against Jakotsu's predatory gaze. Not wanting to cause a scene especially when Naraku was looking for him, he fisted his hands to keep them at his sides. Creeping back against the door he had just entered, he mumbled, "I'd better go now."

Jakotsu simply grinned manically in response with his hands on both hips. "Sugar, there's no need to leave. Why don't you stay with me and let me see what you have under that short, little skirt of yours?" With that, the bouncer's arm stretched out.

Inuyasha watched as if in slow motion as Jak's hand inched toward the hem of his skirt. It was when the pervert's fingers made contact with his skin that his tightly coiled nerves snapped. After that, everything happened too fast.

Inuyasha's fist connected with Jakotsu's jaw, sending the man flying back toward the group of strippers. Screams erupted instantly. A few girls called out to someone called 'Big Gin' or Ginkotsu; Inuyasha wasn't sure, for he was too busy punching the shit out of his assaulter as he straddled the guy's waist. "You want to grope me, you pervert?" he shouted. "Grope me now if you can! How does it feel, huh?!"

Right as he was about to deal the final blow, he was hauled off his prey by two strong hands. The hanyou-turned-human struggled futilely against the newcomer's hold. Only when he was turned to face his captor with surprising strength did Inuyasha have a chance to assess his new opponent.

An almost seven feet tall, burly guy with wild, chin-length, red hair stood before him with his shovel-sized hands fisted into the front of Inuyasha's shirt. Despite the lack of his demonic power, the boy was too angry to be intimidated by anything, though. "Do you want to play too, big guy?" he taunted carelessly.

Five minutes later, he decided he shouldn't have been so careless as he lay on the ground in an abandoned alley at the back of the club with several bruises on his face and ribs and a bleeding cut on his lower lip. He stood up slowly and groaned as his muscles protested. He had found out what he had come searching for, but now, he was left in a bad shape on top of looking like a guy in a skimpy skirt.

"Fuck!" he cursed as his predicament dawned on him. _What the fuck will I do now? Where will I go?_ He glared at his once hated bracelet. Now that he looked like a guy, he couldn't possibly go back to the dorm. He didn't even know if the bracelet would work again once he transformed at dawn. What would he do if he was still a guy in the morning?

Part of him would be perfectly happy to finally be a guy again. To let Kagome see him for who he really was. But, there was another part of him that was afraid. He was terrified that Kagome would only want him as a girl. _Oh fuck, don't let that be true!_

He looked down at the cursed bracelet that he had been tugging at for the past month. It was the damned thing that Sesshoumaru had put on him; the cursed piece of jewelry that he was told would be on him for an entire year, the same piece of trash that had landed him in this awful predicament.

Growling under his breath, he yanked at the imbued jewelry. He was shocked when it came off easily. "Damn," he whispered as he looked at the item dangling from his fingers with wide violet eyes.

He felt an enormous amount of relief. It was as if he had been imprisoned and had just been let out for parole. Then, panic flooded his senses. He almost shook with nervousness.

_What if I can never be Shaya again? What if Kagome will never let me touch her again? What if she hates me as a guy? _For some reason, he wasn't even worried that Naraku had a death threat over his head. He was more worried about what Kagome thought of him as a guy, than of his own life.

He looked down at the silly, green mini-skirt that was flecked with bits of red from his bleeding lip. He looked at his muscular, male legs that crept out from under the hem. He shook his head in disbelief. Only one month ago, he would have been crying for joy to have that hated bracelet off. And now, he felt suddenly bereft. _Fuck! I'm screwed!_ He nearly howled in frustration.

He really didn't know what to do. He might have even broken the concealment spell completely when he ripped it off of his wrist. He picked up the pearlescent beads and magatama comma-shaped beads, only to stare at them morosely. _I wish you would work again._

He paused in stupefied wonder. _What the fuck did I just wish?_ He let the weight of his forehead fall against his hand in frustration._ What am I going to do, and where am I going to go now?_ No matter what he did, he needed to change his clothes and he didn't have enough money on him to buy pants. Most of his money and all of his clothes were either in his dorm room or his home — the home that his parents had kicked him out of.

He had two choices; he could either go home and risk being spotted by Sesshoumaru and the rest of his family — this, of course, would earn himself a lifetime of humiliation, — or he could try sneaking into the dorm for a change of clothes and risk getting caught by a few teenage girls. Deciding that the latter was the lesser of two evils, he pocketed his bracelet and left the alley with a determined stride.

He tried his best to ignore the hoots and catcalls that were directed at him as he made his way back to school. He would have even been able to make it back to the dorms without a fight if it wasn't for some jokester on the subway who decided it would be funny to grope his ass.

Inuyasha was angry, his body was hurt and he really needed someone to take out his frustrations on. The poor guy didn't know what was coming, and soon, the unlucky teenager was a beat up mess on the bottom of the subway train. "That'll teach you to stop groping!" yelled Inuyasha in anger as he readjusted his feminine blouse on his flat male torso.

The boy behind him only gurgled in acknowledgement before Inuyasha walked off the train. As he made his way closer to the school, he tried to keep his hair covering his face, looking down at the concrete at his feet as he walked. He really hoped that no one else would notice his odd get-up. If he heard one more catcall, he was going to deck someone.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally viewed the sign for the 'Musashi Girl's Dormitory.' He was about to step on past the sliding glass doors and Tsubaki's imperious watch. However, he realized that even if he was wearing a schoolgirl's uniform, it was readily apparent that a guy was underneath the façade. _Shit? What the hell should I do now?_

Luckily, it was dark outside and a moonless night. He crept around the building until he found the window for his dorm room. _Fuck! Why did it have to be the second floor? _He cursed himself when he realized that his hanyou form could be in that dorm room in five seconds flat while his human form would have to struggle. He looked up and saw that his room was dark. _Good, at least Kagome isn't home yet. I don't ever want her to see me in this skirt._

He turned and looked at the various deciduous trees that surrounded the building. There was even a tree branch that was fairly close to the window that he needed to enter. He was about to climb up a tree when he saw a light turn on in the window next to his. A telltale shadow of a busty girl with a long ponytail crept across the curtains. _Kouga's home. He's gotta help me get in! _He bent down and picked up a few small rocks and put them into his pocket. _These rocks will be my calling card._

Without a second thought, the hanyou-turned-human started to scramble up the tree in the dark. Thankfully, climbing trees had been his favorite pastime of his youth, whether he was human or hanyou. He even had a flashback to his many tree climbing expeditions at the Sunset Shrine. He had found that the Goshinboku tree on the grounds had a delicious view of Kagome's room and he had enjoyed it with abandon. He was more than familiar with scaling trees and for once that skill paid off.

Once he was balanced high on the tree on a lone branch near the dorm windows, he started to throw the rocks. His first rock hit the window too softly. His next rock was flung a little too hard, and the window started to vibrate.

"What the fuck!" yelled Kori as she pushed open the rice paper screen and then opened the glass window. She sniffed the air and was able to discern a human Inuyasha hanging from the branch before her eyes saw his form. Her eyes widened in astonishment. "What the fuck are you doing up in a tree, Inuyasha? And…" Her eyes really started to bug out. "You're a guy? How in the hell did you get that bracelet off?"

Inuyasha's body was bruised and battered. His lip was bloody, but all he could do was smirk despite the pain. "Help me in, and I might tell you," he badgered.

Kouga could only cuss as he helped to pull Inuyasha into the dorm room. "Why I help you with your escapades, I'll never know."

Inuyasha grinned. "The same reason why I can't resist beating the crap out of anyone who tries to kick your ass!"

"Hey, I can handle myself, hot shot!" declared a very female Kori.

Their banter was normal. And for the first time in a month, Inuyasha was finally feeling like he was a guy again.

Kori's eyes widened and then stared at Inuyasha in perplexity. "So, how in the hell did you get that bracelet off?"

Inuyasha looked rather nonplused as he brought out the cursed bracelet from his pocket and showed it to Kori. "I don't know. I changed back into a human, you know…tonight's my human night. And then, I was able to pull it off. I don't even know if it'll ever work again." The hanyou-turned-human looked sadly at the bracelet while Kori madly tugged at his own cursed item.

"Help me get this damn thing off!" yelled Kori. "I have a hot roommate I want to seduce, and this female form ain't doing it for me."

"Oh, and you were telling me that you'd be banging a hot chick every day here!" taunted Inuyasha with a smirk. Kami, he loved this. He was a guy; Kouga was stuck as a girl. He couldn't help but to rub it in.

However, his buddy wasn't completely heartless. So, Inuyasha tried to help him tug at the piece of jewelry, but it was of no use. It was magically bound to Kouga. The curse still held, and the mysterious gender change was still occurring.

"Fuck!" yelled Kouga with his high-pitched female voice. "How in the hell can you remove the bracelet, but I can't?"

Inuyasha sat for a moment on Kori's futon. "Well, I couldn't take it off until I was human. Do you think that's it?" queried Inuyasha, who looked rather funny attempting to have a serious conversation while wearing a green mini-skirt and a girl's blouse.

"Beats me," replied Kori as she paced about the room.

Inuyasha finally raised his head to look squarely at his 'feminine' buddy. "That's got to be it, Kouga!"

"What the hell? What's it?" asked Kori.

"The bracelets. They only work when there is demonic energy. Somehow our demonic auras feed the bracelet and make the magic work. That's why I was able to pull it off." Inuyasha chuckled. "Man, Sesshoumaru must have been in too much of a hurry. He forgot that I have a human night once a month. Oh, damn this works to my advantage. Now, I only hope it works in the morning." The hanyou-turned-human leapt up off of the futon and nearly ran to the door. However, he was stopped by an even faster wolf demon.

"What the fuck? Are you crazy?" demanded Kori as she started to shake Inuyasha. "When would you ever want to be a god-damned girl again?" The more powerful demon still had her claws on the human's shoulders and gave him one more shake before releasing him.

Inuyasha couldn't help but to say one final taunt. "My girl form gets me into Kagome's bed…" was all he was able to squeak out before he ducked a fist. "Besides," he taunted further. "If the spell works, I will be the one to put it back on, and in that case, I should be the only one that can take it off!" With that, he ran past the door into his own room.

Once he was into his room, he quickly threw off the torn and bloodied clothing. He still had the black jeans and t-shirt that he had worn the very first day of his arrival. He pulled the clothing out and kicked off his damned Mary Jane shoes. For the first time in ages, he felt comfortable in his skin again. He pulled on a clean pair of white socks and his only pair of 'guy' jeans. He was about to pull on his black t-shirt when he heard the door handle click. _Oh, shit!_

He was shirtless and slightly bruised as he gazed at his girlfriend, Kagome. She was walking into their shared dorm room. She stopped, looking at him with wide eyes, and he smirked at her, forgetting who he was and what he currently looked like.

"Pervert!" she screamed in horror.

"What?" he asked in disbelief. It took him a second to look down at the rippling muscles around his ribs and his flat pectorals to realize that she hadn't seen him like this before. And, she had certainly never seen him as a human.

A trashcan smacked against his face. "Oww! What the fuck? Kagome, stop it. It's me…"

A heavy book slammed against his bruised flesh before the girl calmed down. She was still out of breath and had a wild look in her eyes before her gaze narrowed in on his face and she stuttered, "Inu-ya-sha?"

He couldn't help but to grin back at her. She was looking up and down at him. He noted with satisfaction that her gaze halted at his bare chest and lingered there longer than it should have. _See something you like?_

Kagome's mouth dropped open momentarily before shock registered on her features again. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Before he could think of an answer, she motioned toward his chest, flailing her arm up and down rapidly. "And why are you naked?"

Inuyasha looked down at his torso, and the oddity of his state of undress in the middle of a girls' dorm room finally dawned on him. _Oh, shit!_ How could he explain to Kagome why her roommate's brother was standing half-naked in her room? He opened and closed his mouth like a gaping fish a few times but nothing came out. Finally, he sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Umm… I was checking out the damage?" he said sheepishly.

Kagome looked confused for a second before her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, Kami! You're hurt!" she cried out. "What happened?" she asked as she started to furiously throw stuff around her closet in search of something.

Inuyasha could only look at his torso in the mirror and note the apparent damage. His ribs were starting to bruise. A gray shade of purple splotched his otherwise perfect torso and his cut lip was starting to swell. He winced as he lied through his teeth, "Nothing important. Got into a small fight."

"Ah ha," Kagome declared as she pulled out a white box with a red cross on the front. Suddenly, she was all business as she motioned for him to sit down on her futon.

She fell down on her knees in front of him and pulled out a piece of cotton and poured some disinfectant on it. "This might hurt a little," she said as she gingerly dabbed at the cut on his lip.

Inuyasha hissed when the material made contact with his open flesh, and Kagome's hand jerked back in fear. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she started to lower her hand, but he caught it.

"No," he said as he shook his head. "It…it doesn't hurt."

When the miko looked skeptical, he brought her hand with the cotton back to his lip to prove his point and started dabbing on it. Her gaze was fixed on his mouth, and she was biting her lip as they cleaned his wound together. He was quickly losing himself in her when she looked at him like that. "Doesn't hurt when _you_ do it," he murmured in a daze.

Kagome's eyes snapped up to his before she looked away. It was becoming more difficult to keep eye contact with him and to not lean up and press her lips to his. She cleared her throat as she pulled out some gauze from the first aid kit. She turned her attention to his chest, thinking that it would be easier than looking at his face, but she quickly regretted her decision at the sight of his finely defined muscles. To distract herself, she asked, "Why do you look like this? I mean, why are you… human?"

He snorted in distaste at her question. "The perks of being a hanyou. This…" he motioned to his hair and eyes before he continued, "…happens once a month."

"Oh," was the miko's brilliant response. She was too busy trying to keep her hands from shaking as she applied ointment on his bruises. "I thought you were in China?" she asked offhandedly.

"I was not," Inuyasha blurted out, fighting valiantly to stay steady and to not moan under Kagome's ministrations. Her hands were so gentle and so soft as they danced over his ribs; he was having trouble breathing, let alone talking. "Well, not anymore," he managed to add after a few seconds. "I couldn't stay away…" his voice trailed off, for he couldn't speak his remaining thoughts. _…from you. I can never stay away from you._

Finished with her work, Kagome looked up at him with a smile. She blushed at his expression. His lips were parted; his breathing was shallow, but rapid. They were so close that she could feel the warmth from every puff of air he released on her face. His eyes were hooded, and his gaze was fixed on her mouth.

She gulped.

Her breath hitched in her throat when he closed the gap, and then, his lips were on hers: soft but firm, warm but fresh, and most of all, dangerously thrilling.

She froze.

Why was he kissing her? What was she supposed to do? Was she being unfaithful to Shaya by letting Inuyasha kiss her? Did it make her a harlot that she liked it, that she had wanted him to do it since she had laid eyes on him tonight? Would it make her a bad person if she kissed the brother after making out with the sister? Despite the barrage of questions, a bigger part of her brain and all of her heart and body registered the fact that it was the man of her dreams that was kissing her. It was his lips caressing hers so softly. And then, it was impossible not to respond.

Her eyes closed, and she let the excitement of their connection wash through her. Her heart was threatening to escape its cage as she kissed him back tentatively. Somewhere in her consciousness, she couldn't help but notice that his upper lip felt the same as Shaya's had between her lips, that he tasted exactly the same as his sister and that he nibbled on her lower lip before he withdrew just like Shaya had done every time they had kissed. Somehow, against all her reservations, this felt right… as right as it had felt with the hanyou girl.

The only difference was that her heart was beating faster now.

When he pulled away, she opened her eyes to see his violet orbs alight with desire. She blushed and looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the gauze. Peeking at him behind her eyelashes, she whispered breathlessly, "What was that for?"

His eyes widened a fraction, and he seemed at a loss for words as he scratched his head and gulped nervously. "Umm… For-for helping me, I guess," he answered finally.

She blushed even deeper and lowered her gaze back to her hands. As she nodded wordlessly, she couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. If she had known he would thank her like that, she would've done something about it years ago.

Trying to diffuse the awkwardness that settled over them, she asked, "So, you didn't tell me why you were here…"

"Oh, yeah" he said before chuckling uneasily. Rubbing his neck, he turned his gaze away from Kagome as he explained, "Shaya's home tonight because… well, because she's taking care of Mom since… umm, since Mom's not feeling very well after her last trip to the mall. She must have overexerted herself, you know. So, yeah. Umm… Shaya sent me here to let you know."

Kagome narrowed her eyes as she carefully watched him squirm for an explanation. It didn't escape her notice that he wouldn't look her in the eye as he talked. _Is he lying? Why would he need to lie?_ "That's very thoughtful of her…" she said slowly before adding, "…and of you." Looking him up and down, she asked, "How did you get in?"

"I climbed up the window." He grinned as she gasped in surprise. There was a long silence then, and he started feeling uncomfortable. Knowing that he was probably wearing out his welcome, he moved to stand up. "I should be going."

"No!" cried out the miko as her hand shot out to stop him. "I-I mean, y-you don't have to…" she stammered as she flushed under his questioning gaze. "I mean, you shouldn't… not when you're like this…" She pointed to his still naked chest and then turned a deeper shade of red. "Hurt! Not when you're hurt," she added hurriedly. She bit her lip anxiously before finally blurting out, "I'd feel better if you stayed the night."

He smiled at her and nodded wordlessly. After all, he could sneak out after his transformation in the morning and go to Sesshoumaru if the spell still was not working.

Silence stretched once again. Looking around nervously, Kagome spotted Shaya's sword lying against the wall in one corner. "It was very nice of your parents to pay for the repairs to the field," she started in an attempt to make conversation. "It must cost a lot… I mean, the field was a disaster."

"Keh! It was a disaster, wasn't it?" Inuyasha snickered in glee before puffing his chest out smugly. "It seems that dad wasn't wrong to give me the Tessaiga, after all." Now that they were on one of his favorite topics, he was excited and he was talking without thinking. "It'll be even more powerful the next time, you'll see. I can protect you from anything with that sword." He beamed at her with pride, completely missing the confusion reflected on Kagome's face.

His_ Tessaiga? _He _will protect me?_ Kagome was baffled. _Why does it feel like I'm missing something here?_ She was already dazed after that kiss, and now, the questions in her head were giving her a headache. "That's very nice, indeed," she mumbled absentmindedly.

"Are you all right?" Inuyasha asked, concerned.

Shaking off her thoughts, she shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Just tired is all."

"You should sleep, then. Go to bed, Kagome."

"So should you," she shot back. "Seems like you had a rough day. You need the rest more than I do."

He snorted at her words, but did not resist as she helped him stand up and handed him one of Shaya's sweat pants to wear to bed. To his dismay, she collected her clothes and left the room to change. He quickly shed his jeans and pulled on the comfy sweats before settling in his futon.

Kagome returned shortly wearing a short sleeved t-shirt and long pajama pants he had never seen on her before. He sighed as she got into the futon. She sent him a questioning glance, but he just shrugged. He didn't mean her to hear it, but the stillness of the night was on her side. She caught his words as he mumbled, "The red shorts looked much better."

The miko's mouth dropped open, but luckily, her back was to Inuyasha so he couldn't see her shock. _When did he see my red shorts? I only wear them to bed!_ Even more confused now, she bid him good night and prayed for sleep to claim her so that her head would stop spinning. It took the poor girl a long while to fall asleep, but she finally did.

Inuyasha wasn't as lucky. He was on edge all night, waiting anxiously for the sunrise. He had never liked the nights of the new moon, but tonight was the worst of all. Instead of brooding over the absence of his powers, he worried about the damned concealment charm. He fingered the bracelet under the covers as he pondered all the possibilities that could take place if the spell didn't work come morning.

When, finally, dawn broke and the familiar thrill of his transformation washed over him, the hanyou took a deep breath, closed his eyes and put the bracelet on. He peeked at his hands with apprehension. A huge grin blossomed on his face when he was met with the sight of his neatly polished, very feminine claws and delicate fingers. _It works!_ He looked down, and his grin widened when he saw that his previously hated bosom pushed against his shirt.

He released a sigh of relief. One of his problems was solved, now it was time to test his theory. Praying that he had been right, he tugged at the bracelet and had to bite his lip from crying out in joy when it came off easily and he was back to being a guy again. _Fuck me! It works!_

Just to make sure, he put on and took off the piece of jewelry several times before finally letting it stay on his wrist. _Take that, Sesshoumaru!_ He smirked in triumph and winced as the cut on his lip reminded its presence with a sharp sting. Knowing that his wounds would be gone in a few hours, he relaxed in his bed and decided to get some sleep before it was time for their school trip to the hot springs.

He dreamed of his first date with Kagome as a guy and woke up with a start.

_Shit! I forgot to ask her on a date! Dammit!_

* * *

Saturday morning found a lone figure lurking in the shadows at the back entrance of the Seventh Heaven. His tall frame was covered by a long, dark coat. His face and hair were hidden under a fedora hat. The dog demon crossed the alley and stopped in front of the locked door. A low growl resonated in his chest as he stood with his hand on the padlock. His male pride wanted retribution; his demon demanded submission; the dog in him was in heat; and most of all, the lover in him ached to get his precious lady back.

Sesshoumaru would get what he wanted. He was here to make sure of that.

He had been through hell since the last time he had visited this place. He had agonized over everything Rin had done and said to him. He had been angry at her for having left him in the first place and for showing up in such a squalid place. And then, there was the way she had treated him… He still was angry. However, the joy of finding her after two years was quickly replacing any rational or irrational fury he felt at the circumstances he had found her in. After he had calmed down enough to think coherently, her parting words hadn't left his mind. Despite his initial reaction, he knew his Rin wouldn't act like this without a legitimate reason. What fueled his anger was that she could have told him everything from the beginning, and he would have helped her even if it killed him to do so. But, she had chosen to shut him out.

He closed his eyes against the resentment that washed over him once more. If Rin was hiding something, he was going to find out what it was.

He pushed the long claw of his pinkie into the lock. He could have easily broken the iron holding the door closed, but there was no reason to make it obvious that someone broke into the club. The lock opened with a click, and he sneaked through the door and into the dark halls of the Seventh Heaven. He scrunched his nose up in disgust at the lingering stench of sweat, heavy perfume and sex as he passed by the doors of several private playrooms.

He stopped and listened when he heard a noise. Someone was snoring nearby. He snorted at the ignorance of the sleeping member of the band of seven — the idiot who was left behind for the day to ensure the security of the club. He walked past the room where the annoying noise was coming from and stopped in front of the next door.

When he silently opened the door, a vague smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. He found what he had been looking for. He stepped into the room and closed the door. On his right, a dozen monitors on the wall were showing different parts of the club. A small desk was perched in front of him with a computer that was still on, recording everything shown in the monitors. Sesshoumaru could see the back of his unrecognizable image in one of the screens. It didn't matter. He would get rid of those shots and reboot the system before he left.

To his left were a few filing cabinets. In two long strides, the dog demon stood before them and started his search. After trying a few drawers, he came upon a large pile of mini-DVDs that were lined up in perfect order. Checking the dates written on their covers, he easily found the one labeled with the date of his last visit. He pulled it out and closed the drawer before turning to the computer. Putting the DVD in, he quickly scanned through the video images stored in it. There it was: his Rin writhing on his lap as he sat there nearly naked and unable to touch her. The agony was clearly written on his face. He gulped down the surge of desire that rushed through his veins and pulled the DVD out. He pocketed his prize and left the room as silently as he had come, but not before deleting his most recent shots and rebooting the computer.

He was smirking while he locked the door up at the back of the club. The insignificant weight of his spoil in his pocket lifted a substantial amount of his distress. _Tonight,_ he thought as he made his way back to the street. _Tonight, I will get my answers and I will not be denied._

* * *

After a one-hour bus trip the entire senior class of the Shikon Boarding School had arrived at the Hakone Hot Springs. Headmistress Kaede put four girls per room at the Tenzan Hotel, which was at the shores of Lake Ashi. The entire place was filled with the smells of heavy minerals, and if you got close enough to any of the naturally occurring hot springs, the air would be filled with pleasantly warm steam. The hot springs dotted the grounds of the hotel and were interspersed with stone pathways and large outdoor spas of stone and wood.

Inuyasha and Kagome had been assigned one bed, while Kori and Ayame had been assigned the other bed in the small hotel room. Kori immediately ran off into the hot springs, without even unpacking. She seemed drawn to the 'women's only nude bathing.'

However, Kagome felt that she should at least settle into the hotel room before rushing off. After she placed the final piece of cloth into the hotel room wardrobe, Kagome turned to Shaya. The girl was lounging on her bed in her bathrobe, her clothes already thrown haphazardly into one of the drawers. _Shaya seems in a mad rush to get to the hot springs as well…_ Securing the ties of her pink bathrobe once more, the miko extended her hand to the hanyou. When Shaya took her hand with a lazy grin and stood up, she turned and led the way out of the room.

"So, Shaya," she started as they strolled down the hall hand-in-hand. "You still didn't tell me what you found out when you followed Rin yesterday."

Shaya cleared her throat nervously. "There isn't much to tell. She went into a club, and I followed her in. But soon, I realized that it wasn't a good place for a girl like me to be in so I… umm, I _had to_ leave."

"A club?" asked Kagome, intrigued by the girl's discomfort, but Shaya only snorted in reply, refusing to tell her more about the place Rin had gone to. The miko huffed at the hanyou's attitude. "Well then," she drawled. "The next time, I'll go after her and see what this is about."

"The hell you will!" rose Shaya's voice as her grip tightened on Kagome's hand. When her girlfriend's eyebrows were lifted in disbelief, she hurried to explain, "Trust me, Kagome. That place is no good for you. If you go in there, you'll only get me in trouble 'cause I'll have to beat the shit out a few bastards because of you."

As much as she wanted to be angry, Kagome could only roll her eyes at Shaya's protectiveness. Sometimes, she was too _macho_ for a girl, which only reminded the miko of a certain handsome, male hanyou. _Hmm… must add that to the list of 'why I think there's something fishy about these two siblings.'_

Last night with Inuyasha had been nothing short of amazing. Kagome had been so excited to have him so close that it took her a long while to fall asleep. _That… and utter confusion._ When she had opened her eyes early in the morning and turned to check on her long time crush, she had found Shaya sleeping soundly instead of Inuyasha. The hanyou girl had been wearing exactly the same clothes her brother had worn to bed. That had been the last straw after the weird conversation she had had with Inuyasha.

Kagome knew something was up. It didn't escape her notice that the two siblings talked and moved in the same way. All of that could be attributed to sharing the same genetics and having grown up together. But, they looked at her in the same way. They even kissed the same way! It was odd that she had never seen them next to each other, and when Inuyasha finally made his appearance, Shaya was nowhere to be seen. And, she realized, Shaya had been pushing her to date Inuyasha since she had met the girl. And then, there was the ridiculously large size of Shaya's clothes…

_Yep, something's up, all right. And, if my name is Kagome, I'm going to solve this puzzle._

When she had asked, Shaya had told her that her brother had left early to avoid being caught and that she had returned to the dorm to be on time for their trip to the hot springs. Kagome pretended to buy the lame excuse. However, she knew all too well that Shaya was not an early riser and that there was no way in hell the girl would give up on her sleep and return to the dorms _hours_ before they had to leave.

As crazy as it sounded, Kagome wanted to believe that there was indeed a man under that feminine exterior — specifically, the man she had dreamed of for years. Because if that was the case, all the times she had dreamed of kissing Inuyasha in Shaya's arms and the intensity of her emotions for the two siblings would finally make sense. If that was the case, she would no longer feel like a harlot because of her readiness to give it up to both the brother and the sister. If that was the case…

…Inuyasha was going to be in _big_ trouble.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously to the oblivious hanyou who was leading the way excitedly to the nude bathing area. Now, as she was dragged by her _girlfriend_ to the hot springs, only one thing was on her mind: She was going to find out the truth. She caught up to the silver-haired goddess and beamed a smile at her. If Shaya had known what was behind that gorgeous grin, she wouldn't have returned it with so much enthusiasm.

Once they reached the natural pool reserved for women, some of their classmates were already enjoying the hot water along with other patrons. As they stood at the edge, Kagome stiffened. Knowing that the object of her longtime affections, the man she had admired from afar for years, might be standing next to her was making her feel self-conscious. She almost changed her mind. However, for once, she managed to push her insecurities aside. What had to be done, had to be done.

Letting Shaya's hand go, she gave the hanyou a seductive wink before shedding her bathrobe and exposing her nude body to her (or, maybe his) gaze. _Well,_ she thought as she waded into the water before Shaya. _If it's a 'he,' he has already seen everything anyway._

_…and touched,_ the devil in her head added, and she blushed even as that thought made her feel strangely comfortable. She settled into one corner of the pool and watched Shaya drop her robe and step into the water. She bit her lip when she noticed the hunger in the hanyou's eyes as she approached her slowly_. This might be easier than I anticipated._

"Shaya?" asked Kagome once the girl sat down next to her.

"Yeah?" was Shaya's dreamy reply.

The miko giggled and put her hand on Shaya's shoulder. She started with soft caresses as she asked, "Will you let me give you a massage? Please? You'll like it, I promise."

"Uh-huh," said the hanyou dazedly.

Flashing her companion a sugary smile, Kagome urged her to turn her back and started working her magic on the tightly coiled muscles beneath her fingers. _Too tight… too thick… Definitely doesn't feel like what it's supposed to._ As the hanyou became putty in her hands, Kagome berated herself for not noticing this before. _This can't be a woman's body, can it? But how do you know for sure if your girlfriend is indeed a girl?_ She glanced at Shaya's voluptuous bosom and further down between her long legs and she smirked evilly.

_Let's see what you have down there, Sha-ya._

* * *

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he gave in to the sensation of Kagome's hands on his skin. The warmth of the water complimented the softness of her hands perfectly, and he relaxed under her touch despite his better judgment. With each feathery stroke, the din of the surrounding chatter faded into the background until there was only the hanyou and his beautiful miko with magical fingers. Her hands ghosted over his neck, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake before gliding down to his shoulders. She started a sensual massage on his stiff muscles, alternating between caressing his heated skin and applying the right amount of pressure in the right places.

When she started to inch her way down to his chest, he came crushing back down to the earth and immediately stiffened. _Shit! She can't find out that I don't have tits!_ Trying to be inconspicuous, he leaned forward, effectively pushing his chest out of her reach. He could swear that he heard her huff before she proceeded to massage his back. Relieved, he let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding in a long whoosh.

His ears perked up as the sound of two arguing teenagers rose above the ever-present buzz around the multitude of spas. A girl with short, dark hair stood near the pool, holding a small, black pig with a yellow polka-dotted scarf around its neck in her arms. She looked menacing as she glared daggers at the red-haired girl with a pig-tail that stood next to her. The latter seemed unperturbed despite her companion's demeanor with her hands resting lazily on her hips and a challenging glint in her blue eyes. He tried to focus on their banter, hoping that it would dissuade his growing erection thanks to Kagome's sinful ministrations.

"Ranma, you pervert! I told you to get out of here," growled the girl with short, dark hair.

"Give me that pig, and I'll be gone, all right," shot back the redhead. Regardless of the distance, Inuyasha could hear her clearly as she mumbled under her breath, "As if I'd ever want to see you naked."

Apparently, the other girl did not hear the softly uttered words as she continued her tirade. "No! What is your problem with P-chan?!" She clutched the little pig tighter to her chest. Shaya cocked his head in confusion when it seemed that the pig actually blushed when it was pressed up against the girl's naked bosom.

"I don't have a problem with that stupid pig, Akane! It's just…" Seemingly at a loss for words, Ranma growled in frustration before she reached to grab the pig. Her attempt was expertly dodged by her friend.

"It's just what?!" shouted the one called Akane.

The redhead looked sheepish as she scratched her head. "Hot water is not good for pigs?" she explained finally. It sounded more like a question to the hanyou's ears, but he couldn't be sure because it was getting harder to concentrate as Kagome's fingers glided down the sides of his chest inch by agonizing inch.

He bit his lip to stifle a moan just as he heard the frightening girl with a soft spot for pigs screech, "That is stupid!"

"Oh, yeah?" shot back Ranma intelligently. "And, you're so un-cute!"

Kagome's hands reached his abdomen, getting dangerously close to the now throbbing 'little Tessaiga' right as the short-haired girl's face started to get impossibly red. Inuyasha stiffened for a fraction of a second before jumping up to his feet and out of the pool in one huge leap. He grabbed a random towel lying next to his feet. Without a glance back at the open-mouthed miko he left behind, he dashed through the steps that led out of the spa area. He had to get out of there and away from her, or else… _Or else, I won't be held fucking responsible for my fucking actions, dammit!_

"Ahhhh!" Akane's voice rose in an exasperated scream followed by the sound of something falling hard into the water when the hanyou stumbled on the path leading to the nearby lake.

_Lake… Cold water… Gotta cool down… Fuck!_

Damp locks of silver hair clung to his flushed skin as he ran toward his salvation without regard to how much he was flashing to prying eyes as he ran with only the cover of a flimsy towel. Water dripped down the tips of his long hair, leaving a disrupted trail as his bare feet raced along the pathway. After a few seconds, which felt like minutes to the suffering teenager, the green of the woods finally gave way to the deep blue of water. Happy to see that the lake was closer than he expected, he slowed down to a trudge, letting out a little sigh of relief in the process.

Running was _not_ pleasant with a raging hard-on.

When he reached the edge of the water, he let the towel drop, exposing his body in all of its feminine glory and not giving a damn about it. _Keh! Nobody's around, anyway._ About to put his beautifully painted toes in the cool goodness, he heard angry cries coming from the pathway he had taken. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a dark-haired, pig-tailed boy wearing the exact same bathrobe the redheaded girl, Ranma, had been wearing running toward where he stood. The boy was followed by a group of enraged women in towels, insistently calling him a pervert in between shouted promises of death.

The hanyou's jaw dropped at the bizarre scene. His curious eyes met the boy's for a second, and the boy's blue orbs widened before he lost his foot and tumbled to the ground with a sound 'oof.' During his moment of weakness, a couple of women blocked his way to the lake and instead, he dived into the woods, the angry mob short on his tail.

Inuyasha chuckled at the poor guy's predicament before he was painfully reminded of his reason for being there in the first place. Not having any patience left, he ran into the water and dived in, letting the blissful coolness surround his taut muscles. He had swum in deeper and then returned when he saw the same boy stumble out of the woods and run straight for the lake. The strange boy jumped in, and in a few seconds, he was back on his feet, standing waist deep in the water.

The only problem was that he wasn't a 'he' anymore. What Inuyasha saw that in his place was none other than the pig-tailed girl, Ranma. The girl smiled sweetly at the group of women still looking for the boy as they passed by the lake. When they saw that they lost his trail and headed back to the hot springs, the girl's shoulders slumped and she sighed in relief.

The hanyou shook his head, trying to come up with an explanation to what he had witnessed. Thinking that he was hallucinating due to too much exposure to hot water, he dived in again.

He swam toward the girl and rose to his feet a few steps away from her. To his immense relief and confusion, she was still a girl. _So, I wasn't dreaming._

They stood silent for a few seconds before Ranma said, "You were a girl," at the same time Inuyasha blurted out, "You were a guy."

The hanyou's ears twitched at the sound of his very male voice. "What the …?" he mumbled as he looked down to see his broad chest and defined abdomen. He raised his hand and cursed when he noticed the absence of his bracelet. _Fuck! After weeks of torture, I was able to take it off once, and now, it falls down on its own accord. Now, I'll have to look for it in a fucking lake! But, that will have to wait for a little while._

Returning his attention back to the boy-turned-girl, his gaze met hers dead on. Their eyes narrowed, appraising each other, and then widened as they both came to a conclusion.

_She must have a fucking concealment spell like mine! _Still, Inuyasha eyed the redhead warily, wondering how a human pulled off something like that without any demonic aura.

Ranma smiled at his hesitancy. "Don't worry, my friend. It seems like we have the same problem."

"You're under the same spell, too?" asked the hanyou, surprised that she acknowledged it so easily.

"Yeah. I'd rather call it a curse, though." grumbled the girl.

"Right with you there." Inuyasha snickered before he looked at Ranma critically. Her bathrobe had come undone during her haste, and she was flashing her breasts to his gaze. She didn't seem to mind that, though, which could only mean one thing…"So, you're really a guy under all that, right?"

"Of course, I am," huffed Ranma proudly, throwing out his chest and wrapping his arms under his ample bosom.

"Wow. I wonder if mine look as real." Intrigued, Inuyasha reached out and poked the pig-tailed redhead's chest experimentally, expecting to find a flat chest like his own. What he found out was not what he had been expecting. Something soft and fleshy met his fingertips.

"Eek! Stop it, you pervert!" screamed Ranma

"Oh, shit! You're a _girl_!" cried out Inuyasha.

"No! _You_'re a girl!" shot back the only one who sported tits at the moment.

"I'm not a fucking girl!" growled the silver-haired boy rightfully.

"Neither am I!" screeched the redhead in a shrill voice that sent the hanyou's ears hiding among his bangs.

"What the…?" started Inuyasha, flabbergasted, before he gave up on trying to figure out the weird girl-boy-girl in front of him. His irritation rose each second he spent standing there until finally he growled out, "This is fucked up." He turned from the confusing creature and dived under the water. He swam the way he had come, searching for his lost bracelet and wanting to put as much distance between himself and the 'not really a girl, but not really a boy, either' person.

He found the bracelet rather easily, since his hanyou eyes were much more acute than the average human being. Once he resurfaced, he cried with joy. When he looked back, Ranma was already gone. _Thank God. I don't think I can stand her… him… her… _

_Oh, fuck!_

Determined to forget all about 'I'm-not-a-girl-but-I-have-real-tits-Ranma,' he slowly waded toward the shore where his towel lay forgotten, all the while struggling to put his bracelet back on and swearing as he failed to do so. When he finally reached the dry land, his ears caught a weak noise that sounded like a little whimper. His head shot up, and he gasped in both surprise and fear.

There, a few feet in front of him, stood none other than Kagome, staring at him with her doe eyes wide open.

* * *

_20 minutes ago…_

Her mouth hanging open and a little bit startled, Kagome watched Shaya jump out of the pool and run away with a flimsy towel around her voluptuous form. _She's running away… from me! _Now, the miko knew for sure that the hanyou girl was hiding something. She could tell from the way Shaya's body had felt under her hands. _How did I miss that before?_ And, the way the girl had shied away from any contact with her private parts. And now, she high-tailed out of there as if her tail was on fire. _What are you hiding, Shaya?_

Determined to find out the truth and not wanting to lose her roommate-slash-girlfriend's trail, Kagome waded out of the pool as fast as she could. Wrapping the first towel she could get her hands on over her nude form, she ran after Shaya and saw her take the pathway that led to the lake. Quickening her strides, the miko followed.

When she made it to the lake, her dog-eared lover was standing at the shore. She let her towel fall, exposing all of her ethereal beauty to the sunlight and prepared to step into the water. Angry shouts were heard back from the pathway right then, and Kagome dove behind the closest tree to hide from the hanyou's curious gaze that swept in her direction a second later. The _lesbian_ couple watched separately from their respective places as an almost naked boy came running toward the lake followed by a group of enraged women. He lost his footing for a moment, which let two women block his way to the lake to corner him. Seeing that, he dove into the forest, and his pursuers followed after him with cries of, "Come here, you pervert!"

Returning her attention back to the hanyou, Kagome watched her dive in and swim back and forth. The running boy showed up again, dashing out of the woods and diving straight into the water. Kagome slapped her mouth to keep from gasping out loud when she saw a red-haired girl resurface instead of the dark-haired boy. Shaya looked surprised as well as she shook her head as if to clear her sight. Then, she dove under water and emerged in front of the other girl…

…as a very male Inuyasha.

Kagome's jaw dropped. _Kami!_ Even though she had been expecting this, she wasn't _really_ expecting to witness it. She blinked a few times, unable to form a coherent thought, and watched the duo in the lake interact in a dazed stupor. Finally, the duo parted not so amicably, and Inuyasha went back to swimming while the other boy — or was it really a girl? — waded out of the water and stomped past the miko's hiding place toward the hot springs.

Still overwhelmed with her findings, her gaze returned to the hanyou. Once close to the shore, he stood up, exposing the upper half of his chest to the warm air. His head was down as he fidgeted with something in his hands while he waded to the edge of the water. Kagome couldn't see his boyish face since it was shadowed by his damp bangs. However, she could see the rest of him as it was revealed to her inch by delicious inch with each step he took, and she drank in the sight greedily. The sunlight bathed his glistening skin in golden hues. Silver tendrils clung to his broad shoulders; a blazing wave of light danced its way up and down his wet mane with his every move. He was lean, and yet the muscles on his torso oozed a barely concealed power as he obliviously approached her with striking grace.

She found her feet moving of their own accord, taking her toward the shore. She couldn't help it; he was utterly magnificent, and she was irrevocably drawn to him. She stood a few feet before him once he finally stepped on land. He was still fumbling with what looked like a piece of jewelry in his hands, too engrossed in his task to notice her presence. Softly uttered curses caressed her ears as she let her eyes wander freely. He looked even better up close. Perhaps, it was because she knew she could touch him if she only reached for him. She felt hot all over as if his smooth skin radiated heat, as if he was the sun and she would get burnt if she stepped any closer. And, she _wanted_ to get burnt.

The miko finally managed to look away from his finely defined stomach only to peek further down. A shiver ran up her spine at the sight that greeted her down there. _Oh, my. Definitely magnificent._ She could vaguely remember having felt something in Shaya's jeans when they had danced at the club. _And, I think I might have grabbed it!_ She flushed at the thought. A soft whimper escaped her before she could bite her lip to stop it. Inuyasha's ears perked up at the sound, and his head shot up to meet her gaze. Seeing the shock in his eyes, she finally snapped out of her daze.

_Busted, Sha-ya._

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***Reviews are _almost_ as exciting as a hot hanyou in a cold lake.***

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**_Next chapter:_**_ Kagome's reaction, more fun at the hot springs, another visit to the Seventh Heaven and Sesshoumaru's payback._

**_Authors' Notes:_**

_#1: Onee-chan = Older Sister_

_#2: The Hakone hot springs are 100km outside of Tokyo and are a major tourist attraction._

_#3: If you were confused by Inuyasha/Ranma interaction at the lake, remember that Ranma, who is actually a boy, turns into a real girl when he's exposed to cold water. So, when Ranma sees Shaya getting into the cool waters of the lake while he's running by the lake and then is met with Inuyasha in the lake, he assumes that the hanyou is actually a girl that is under a similar curse as he. We couldn't help but to put our two gender-bending Rumiko heroes into the story together!_


	14. Payback

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_A big thank you to our readers for voting 'He's My Girl' as IYFG Best Comedy of 2009, IYFG 3rd Place, Best Romance Inuyasha and Kagome and Feudal Association 1st Place, Best Alternative Universe. Your writers take a humble bow! :-)  
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_**Warnings:** Foul language, plenty of limey action and a lemon.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: Hedanicree, SplendentGoddess and Theleb K'aarna!  
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_Artwork for this chapter can be found at: .com/  
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_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea__  
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**Chapter 14: Payback**

At the heart of Mount Hakone lay the famous Lake Ashi, carefully guarded by the magnificent Mount Fuji from afar. At its sandy shores stood a flabbergasted hanyou, wearing nothing but his birthday suit, facing an equally wide-eyed miko in front of him.

As Inuyasha looked at her with his mouth hanging open, a barrage of questions bombarded Kagome's mind. _Shaya is Inuyasha. Shaya is _really_ Inuyasha. But… why?_ Why would the profusely macho hanyou choose to look like a girl? Why would he enroll in an all-girl's school? Was this some sick joke? Did he turn into a pervert who enjoyed being around and peeping on unsuspecting girls? Most importantly, what had he been doing with her? Had he been playing with her because she was easy prey?

_No!_ The miko refused to believe that was the case. _Inuyasha is not like that._ However, the nature of their current relationship said otherwise. After all, even though she had been more than a willing participant, he had been taking advantage of her by keeping her in the dark as to what and who he really was. Anger swelled in her chest at that thought. _God, I don't want to hate him. Please, don't make me hate him._

She knew that if she called him out on his lie now, there wasn't much he could say or do that would stop her from turning her back to him, but not without a well-deserved slap on his handsome face. She couldn't even imagine any explanation that could warrant her forgiveness. He had destroyed her trust with one move, and she was hanging on the last thread for dear life. After what she had witnessed, there was only one way he could even start to win her trust back, and that was with pure, genuine honesty.

He had to tell her his secret willingly.

But, if she didn't say anything now, would he ever tell her the truth? She desperately needed him to be the one to say it first. _Perhaps, if I can encourage him to fess up…_

"Ka-Kagome?" the hanyou sputtered after a few seconds, finally getting his vocal cords to work.

Several possibilities passed through Kagome's mind before she decided on her course of action. However, to Inuyasha, it only took a moment for his girlfriend to compose herself. Her look of unqualified adulation was quickly squashed and replaced with a forced, thin smile. "Hi, Inuyasha." She stopped just in front of him and tried not to look below his waist. She would be far too distracted if her gaze wandered there. Kagome took a moment to cross her arms in a look of nonchalance. "Was that your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Inuyasha looked incredibly perplexed. His mind was trying to process her question while he gazed again at her voluptuous form that was right before him. He was quickly getting sidetracked. _Oh fuck! She better not have seen me change._

"The red-headed girl with the pig tail," elaborated the miko with a flick of her head in the direction Ranma had disappeared to.

Her question finally registered, and it took less than a nano-second for him to respond. "Hell, no!" shouted Inuyasha before his nervousness returned. He combed his wet bangs back with his fingers as he asked, "Umm, what did you see?"

"Oh, not much. You were talking to her when I arrived," she supplied, saving the hanyou from his fear that she had seen his _transformation_. She bit her lip to keep from snickering at his discomfort. _This is too much fun._ Just because she liked making him flustered, she added with great effort to keep the laughter from her voice, "You two seemed _cozy_ together."

As she expected, the hanyou blushed a deep red at the thought of being anywhere near cozy with the weird gender-confused teenager. To her disappointment, he clenched his jaw to keep from blurting out the first thing that came to his mind, which was most likely a mind-boggling curse directed at the redhead, and started taking his aggression on the bracelet he clutched in his hands.

Kagome's eyes flickered toward the object at the sudden movement. He gasped when he realized that he was holding Shaya's bracelet — the one the hanyou girl had been wearing when the miko had last seen her — and hurried to hide it behind his back.

It wasn't that Kagome did not notice it. She chose to pretend that she didn't, though, for she knew he could easily come up with a lie about why he was currently in possession of the piece of jewelry. Pointing it out couldn't possibly result in a confession from the hanyou. She wanted him to tell her the truth because he _wanted_ to, not because he had no other choice. Most importantly, it hurt too much to hear him lie to her.

Besides, her attention was quickly diverted the moment the hanyou's hands were out of her sight, leaving her gaze fixed at his crotch in their wake. She gulped as she felt heat pool at her cheeks first and then traveled down her chest and even lower. She blinked and forced her eyes to look up at his face instead. Her chocolate orbs were met with liquid amber darkened with… _Desire? Oh, God._ She cleared her throat and buried her toes deeper into the sand, hoping that it would be enough to keep her from jumping his bones. "It's strange that we keep meeting like this, isn't it?"

"Like what?" asked Inuyasha, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"You know…" Kagome's voice trailed off as her eyes flickered down to his privates once more. "You being in various states of undress."

At the realization that he was standing butt-naked in front of the object of his affections in his unabashed male glory, the hanyou's eyes widened comically, and he turned an even deeper shade of red. He dove for the towel he had discarded on the sand and fumbled with it for a while as he muttered unintelligibly about 'damned demonic senses' and 'fucking teenage hormones.' He heaved a sigh once he finally managed to wrap the towel around his waist, effectively covering the return of the little Tessaiga with his hand holding the cloth in the front.

"So-sorry about that," he stuttered nervously, all the while praying that she wouldn't notice the rise of the phoenix under the fluffy garment. "It became too hot back there, so I needed to… umm, cool down."

"Oh. What brought you here, to the hot springs?" queried Kagome as she shifted her hips.

Inuyasha's brow furrowed, and he tried to explain why he was following Kagome around. "Well, Shaya mentioned that you'd be here, so I thought…"

She arched her eyebrows, and a frown marred her features. "So, you thought it would be fun with a horde of teenage girls around?"

His eyes hardened at her words, and a determined glint shone in them. "No," he said with conviction. "I thought I might get a chance to see you."

"For what?" Kagome was trying to sound disinterested, but she couldn't help the way her heart started to beat faster at his words.

"For something I forgot to ask last night." He looked uncomfortable for a second before he squared his shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Would you go out on a date with me?"

"Oh." Kagome blinked, and her mouth opened, but no words came out. After pausing for a brief second that had Inuyasha cringing in his towel, she spoke with a smile on her face. "I'd love to." His eyes widened, and a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "However," she continued, and his face fell. "You may not know about this, but I'm with your sister. What I have with Shaya is… special. Besides, I might have given you the wrong impression last night, but I'm not a two-timer. I'm sorry."

"You're with my sister," stated Inuyasha slowly, as if to digest the words.

"Yes," answered the miko without hesitation.

"Like, _with_ with my sister," he insisted much to Kagome's amusement.

"Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while. I rather enjoy being _with_ her," she said as a suggestive smirk formed on her lips.

Inuyasha's face took on a comical expression at her words as if he couldn't decide whether to frown or grin. "Speaking of which…" Kagome continued after a brief pause. "Have you seen Shaya around? I've been looking for her." The miko approached the hanyou and trailed a languid finger down his chest. Her movements were sensual, and Inuyasha couldn't keep his eyes off of her hand as the rise and fall of his chest quickened under her fingertip. A hot trail burned from wherever she had touched him. "Could you tell her to come find me if you see her?" she asked then, peeking at him under the veil of her dark eyelashes before she leaned up and whispered into his ear, "I'm rather horny."

Inuyasha's lips started to move, but no words left the overly stimulated hanyou's mouth. All that the poor boy could manage was some inane stuttering as the girl he always wanted winked at him.

Kagome's warm fingertips lingered on his chest before she pulled them away and brought a few errant fingers to her full lips. Inuyasha's widened eyes trailed after her digits. With two fingers to her mouth she blew him a kiss and then turned to walk away.

Inuyasha stared in abject confusion and adoration as he watched Kagome leave. Her curvaceous form was barely concealed by her rumpled yukata. He watched hungrily as her hips swayed from side to side. _Did she just shake her ass at me?_ He stood there enamored and clueless as to what to do next.

He felt a little conspicuous. Here he was on a lakeside beach in the broad daylight with a pink towel barely covering his manly parts. He was embarrassed, upset and completely bewildered as to why Kagome had turned him down for a date. _What the…? __Didn't she have a fucking crush on me? What? She doesn't want me now?!_ He held his towel close to his waist as he slowly followed Kagome's trail like a lost puppy dog.

_What the hell just happened? I'm in love with her, dammit! And she wants…she wants… a fucking _girl_? Oh, fuck no!_ Inuyasha's fists clenched, and he shook his head in misery. Then, Kagome's trailing words started to repeat ad infinitum within his mind, 'I'm rather horny.'

He sniffed the air again. He could tell that the miko's telltale scent had an even spicier aroma to it now. She was turned on! She wanted him! With that revelation, he nodded to himself in satisfaction before his steps faltered in hesitation. No, she wanted _her_. But just then, she had wanted _him_.

Or had it been _her_?

_Oh, for the love of… __Fuck!_

Inuyasha gave up trying to understand exactly which gender had made Kagome lascivious. Thoughts ceased and his hormones propelled his feet forward. With renewed determination and hardened eyes, Inuyasha dashed to the nearest copse of trees. His ears swiveled as he listened attentively to make sure that no one was in the vicinity. When all he was met with was silence, he quickly slid his bracelet back on and immediately noticed the way his fingertips became adorned with pink nail polish.

He smiled and started to run forward, but was quickly halted when he saw two large D-cup breasts jiggling erratically in front of him. _Oh fuck. I forgot about those puppies!_ He quickly removed the towel from his waist and brought it up a little higher to enclose his torso as well. The tiny towel that had barely covered him as a man was obscenely revealing as a girl. This time, he continued walking forward with one hand securely holding the front of his towel. He couldn't risk running and revealing his 'Gates of Eden' to the world.

His hanyou senses quickly picked up on Kagome's musky scent. Soon, he was trailing after her through the sparse forest that surrounded the lake. He had almost caught up to her when he realized that she would be fairly suspicious if Shaya suddenly ran into her so quickly after seeing Inuyasha. _Fuck! _He sniffed the air again…letting the glimmering scent of her desire waft over the air before he steeled himself. _I'm not going to give in. I'm not going to give in…_

He spent the latter part of the hour finding his yukata, donning it back on and trailing after Kagome. He sadly watched as she joined some of her friends, including Sango, in a hot spring. His only solace was that at least Kouga wasn't watching his girl. By the time he felt that he could finally join his girlfriend at the hot spring without raising her suspicions, she was already deep in conversation with her friends.

His hands ached to touch her, and it didn't help that she was completely nude the entire time. Further, it really didn't help the situation when she would occasionally brush her breasts against his back or let her hand glide along his backside. If he didn't know Kagome better, he would swear that her little innocent touches were meant to tease him. But, Kagome had never been like that before (the one exception being when she was completely drunk). In fact, if her reddened cheeks told him anything, it was that she was still very innocent and embarrassed about her desire for her girlfriend.

It wasn't until after dinnertime that Shaya was finally able to get Kagome alone. As much as he had liked Sango, now he almost despised the girl for taking so much of his girlfriend's time. All the girls had done the entire afternoon was discuss unimportant stuff like some showbiz star that they called Dr. McDreamy and Lady Gaga's latest outfits. _How fucking boring!_ When they finally left the spring, Inuyasha felt a surge of relief that had nothing to do with leaving the all-too-hot water. Once again, his footsteps closely followed Kagome's.

He was surprised when she smirked over her shoulder at him and sauntered toward their shared hotel room. Inuyasha should have been keeping his distance. After all, he was a guy, who unhappily looked like a girl. Once they made it to the room, he closed the door with a firm click. What he really wanted to do was to lock out both Ayame and Kouga, but he knew that wouldn't go over very well. He just hoped that they would stay away until his pent up frustrations could be worked out. He sniffed to smell a lingering scent of desire from Kagome's body and a touch of nervousness.

"Kagome?" Shaya asked carefully. Kami, he wanted to touch her, all of her. But she was nervous, and he was… _Fuck, I look like a girl!_ He looked down again at his carefully manicured fingernails. They glistened in the room's wane light, as if the polish was still liquid. Disillusionment crept through him, quaffing his desire—that was until Kagome dropped her yukata to reveal her bare back. _Fuck, half naked Kagome, but she thinks I'm a girl…_

"Shaya?" questioned Kagome with a coquettish smile. "I have a horrible knot in my shoulder. Could you massage it for me?" She was sitting at the edge of her bed with her yukata pooled at her waist, her slender bare back facing him. _Oh Kami, she's not wearing a bra… _

Once again, any coherent thought rapidly left his mind as his feet moved him toward his girlfriend. He quickly sat down beside her on their bed, and his hands ached to touch her. Inuyasha stole a quick glance at his feminine fingers. He was in a quandary. _How can I touch my girlfriend when she can't touch me?_ He quickly resolved to touch her, but to try his best to keep her from reciprocating. Unfortunately, little Tessaiga twitched in agony at the abominable idea. _Sorry, you can't get any if she thinks I'm a girl. _The poor thing started to sag in misery. He swallowed nervously and placed a hand on each of her shoulders, starting a massaging action. Her skin felt so smooth and soft under his touch, like liquid silk.

Kagome turned her head around and gazed quizzically at her roommate. "Shaya? Why did you run off on me?"

Shaya nervously swallowed. "Errrr…it was getting too hot?" _There, I'm not even lying!_

Kagome turned back around and rolled her eyes. _Apparently, he's not going to tell me the truth now._ She felt his warm, large hands on her petite body and imagined her handsome hanyou sitting beside her, rather than the feminine one that she was seeing. But did she have to see a girl? Didn't she see Inuyasha instead of Shaya on more than one occasion? What she would give to see his handsome form now.

For the past few hours she had been wracking her brain, trying to think of how she could see past the bizarre illusion that Inuyasha wore. She had finally settled on one intriguing idea. If the cause of Inuyasha's transformation was demonic, then a touch of her miko spiritual energy should cancel it out and perhaps she would be able to see past his feminine shell. And the two times that Shaya's form had shimmered into Inuyasha's muscular one had both been when she was somehow honing her miko abilities. _Could it be that simple?_

As his eager hands rubbed and soothed her sore muscles, she started to focus her spiritual power. She felt the writhing of her miko aura rolling off of her in waves. It touched his demonic one in tandem, flickering with power. Soon, the two opposing forces licked at each other like battling flames, until the demonic energy that converged on his bracelet gave way.

Kagome couldn't help but to turn and gaze in rapt astonishment at her hanyou. Luckily, he was too focused on touching her bare skin to notice her startled face. She nearly gasped as she saw his male form beside her, an Adonis sitting next to her on the bed in an ill-fitting yukata. She eyed his tanned chest hungrily since the thin cotton robe exposed a tantalizing portion to her view.

She let her head loll back against his chest so that she could stare at his face. She couldn't help but to gaze in adoration at his masculine jawline and the golden pools that were his eyes. She knew that she was supposed to be making life difficult for him, but it seemed like life was simply going to be even more difficult for her instead. Her longtime crush, who she had always thought was indifferent to her, was now clearly desiring her and she was supposed to hold back? Her muscles were starting to melt under his ministrations, and her body was reacting to his all-too masculine presence.

Inuyasha's hands were worked to ease the accumulated tension residing in his girlfriend's petite frame. As he touched her smooth, bare skin, a spark of electricity shot through him. He stifled a moan as he felt drawn to her body. He needed to press his hands against her warm flesh, however it was quickly becoming too addictive, and now he needed a bigger fix.

_Fuck! Think of something gross. Think of anything other than being alone, with a half-naked Kagome in a hotel room… Oh fuck…_

That did it. Something inside of him nearly broke as his mouth converged on the pale flesh of her neck. He couldn't help but to gently suck on the swath of exposed skin before tenderly kissing the surface. Each lick, each caress of her flesh suffused him deep to the core. It was almost as if they were two opposable forces, drawn to each other, needing the other half to be whole. His heartbeat started to surge in his chest, threatening to break free. All the while, he could hear the telltale rhythm of Kagome's heartbeat speeding up as if she was on an adrenaline rush.

She twisted in his arms, while his hands were still on her shoulders, but now her bare breasts were pressed against his torso. He could only moan as his lips found hers. His mouth started to tentatively kiss her wet, warm lips. Despite the heated desire coursing through him, he was trying to remain in control—trying to keep this from going too far. Then, he felt the skin of her breasts and the tips of her nipples pushed against his exposed chest.

He didn't think as he pulled down at the thin cotton of his robe, needing every centimeter of their flesh to touch. All he could smell was Kagome's salty, marine scent emanating from deep inside of her. It surrounded him and made him incoherent. Their chests rubbed against each other, heated skin touching skin. It all felt extremely forbidden as the thin cloth pooled at their waists chaffed against their sweaty flesh. All he knew was his need and desire for her. He had completely forgotten that he looked like a girl. He was simply sensing with his hands and his sense of smell. He'd be damned if he focused on what his eyes told him.

Kagome was quickly becoming lost in the moment as well. She never knew that letting her miko energies loose would cause their hormones to go into overdrive. She couldn't help that she was now in the presence of Inuyasha in all of his stunning male glory and he wanted her. _Plain Kagome…he wants me… _She felt him nibble at her earlobe and groaned. She wasn't supposed to let it get so far out of control, but she was beyond caring. She just needed a little more; more of his skin, more of his touch, more of his kisses and damn it all to hell, she wanted him to abate the growing desire for him that was turning into liquid between her thighs.

Once again his lips met hers, and her tender aching hands touched the curvature of his jaw before tracing up to his ears. Probing fingertips met his furry ear and another jolt swept through him, her touch was an addictive pleasure that left trails of fire and need in their wake.

Their hands, tongues and bodies were intermingled on their bed when they heard the hotel door slam.

Inuyasha tried to dismiss the intrusion as he returned to worship his girlfriend. What he wouldn't do to be able to feel the synergy of their bodies intertwined together in every way. Nothing in his entire life had ever felt so good. He just couldn't let go.

"Ayame!" a thin, wolf voice whined in the background.

It was Kagome who tentatively pulled away from his lips. Inuyasha's desperate lips trailed after hers, trying to continue their dance.

_Nooooo…don't stop, dammit. It's just fucking Kouga._ "Ignore the wolf," pleaded Inuyasha as he gazed at his girlfriend. Her hair was tussled in a sexy, black wave; her neck was bedecked with red marks that would surely darken in a day; her lips were crimson and swollen, and her bare breasts were exposed to the cool night air. He put a hand on both of her shoulders and begged her with his half-lidded eyes to not stop.

"Fhmoph!" They heard a large form flop onto the adjacent bed. Then, the demon on the bed started to moan incoherently.

Inuyasha almost broke down when Kagome started to pull up her yukata to cover her bosom. The hanyou turned in anger at the interruption.

"What in the fuck is your problem, wolf?"

His friend only batted a bleary eye at him. Inuyasha sniffed, and his nose wrinkled at the pungent smell of sake.

"I just…I just wanted her to like me," babbled the wolf demon uncontrollably. "I followed her today."

As the duo continued talking, Inuyasha almost didn't notice the gasp from Kagome. As the miko gazed over at Kori, she was able to make out for the first time that her other roommate was a male as well. Indignant rage started to course though her. _He also saw me naked in the shower! And Inuyasha allowed it to happen?_ She fisted her hands by her sides. _What else has he been hiding from me? _When she turned to look at Inuyasha, her face was ablaze with fury.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha cried out in confusion. If he couldn't tell by her stiff form, he could certainly tell by her scent that she was incredibly angry. _What the fuck? One minute she's making out with me, and now she's pissed?_

His girlfriend's gaze bounced back and forth between him and the drunken Kori, who was sprawled out on her bed. "I'm going to take a shower," Kagome declared with her hands on her hips. When Shaya made a move to join her, the miko's eyes narrowed with indignation. "Alone!" she commanded as she briskly turned on her heels and made her way to the bathing room. Once she was past the door, it slammed with such vehement force that Inuyasha was startled.

He gazed at the closed door that his sweet smelling, voluptuous and now naked girlfriend was behind—without him.

He returned to his demon friend with renewed fury. "What the hell! I was with Kagome, and you spoiled everything, you stupid fuck!"

The wolf demon only whimpered and continued on piteously. "At least you got a girl," he sniffed as he wiped at his nose. "Ayame was out with her boyfriend tonight. He…he made out with her…she let him. And he's a dick. Why won't she date me? I'm a good looking guy…"

"You look like a fucking girl, wolf-shit…"

"Oh…" was his half-hearted reply. Then his watery eyes tried to focus on Shaya. "Then why does Ka…Ka...Kags...want you, mutt? Why can't I have a girl?"

"Shut up, you moron!"

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Kagome stood behind the closed bathroom door, feeling the coolness of the wood through the thin cotton fabric of her yukata.

_What was I thinking?_ She lurched forward to stare at herself in the mirror. Despite her best intentions, she had been all too willing to give it up to her lying, hanyou boyfriend/girlfriend, AGAIN!

"Arrgh!" she yelled in the bathroom. Her voice was almost drowned out by an equally upset hanyou screaming at his drunken wolf demon friend.

She moved forward to pull off her disheveled yukata and dumped it unceremoniously on the ground. With a sigh, she sat down on the tiny stool next to a flexible showerhead. After giving herself a good spray of water, she managed to rub soap over her slippery body and to massage shampoo into her hair. She rinsed off as the water level in the bathtub rose.

She settled her small body into the deep, warm water of the tub as she tried to make sense of the past few hours. The ritual made her feel more at peace, but her heart was still troubled.

Seeing Shaya as Inuyasha was a shock, but it wasn't unexpected. And, she would be lying to herself if she didn't acknowledge the relief that flooded her senses when she had proof that her recent hormones had not driven her to another girl, but to the man she had always wanted and desired. Now her seemingly bizarre attraction to the hanyou girl made sense. It had been Inuyasha all along, and somehow, her body knew that and had responded.

Kagome leaned back in the tub and ran her fingers through her bangs. She had been spending the past week wondering how she was going to break it to her mother that she was a lesbian. She had worked herself into a worried frenzy, and there had been no need! _Inuyasha!_ Now her anger was rolling off of her in waves. _How dare he keep me in the dark! How dare he pretend to be a girl! Why is he doing this?_

She groaned as she sank further into the warm water. Her eyes quickly flicked back to the door and the moaning wolf demon on the other side. The moans were usually interspersed by Shaya's irate screams. Then, she blinked. Perhaps this was all Kori's fault?! But, it wasn't Kori was it? Who the hell was that guy in the other bed lamenting Ayame's choice of a boyfriend? The miko furrowed her brow as she tried to think back to any wolf demons that Inuyasha was acquainted with.

With a gasp she recalled a conversation she had listened to while having tea with her mother and Inuyasha's mom, Izayoi. If she could admit it to herself, she had attended those boring tea socials in a pitiful attempt to learn something about the gorgeous hanyou that she was pining after. Since he wouldn't give her the time of day, her only recourse was to listen to his mother talk about him. She did recall that Izayoi had frequently lamented Inuyasha's frequent run-ins with the law. And every time he got in trouble there was always a wolf demon in tow, who was equally responsible. _Kouga!_

So why were both of them here, pretending to be girls? Kagome puzzled over Shaya's reaction when she had seen the girl for the first time. As she ran the memories in her mind, she remembered that Shaya had been surprised to see her. _So maybe Inuyasha didn't mean to be my roommate? Maybe this is Kouga's fault? Was this some sort of stupid dare that the boys had decided upon?_ Kagome snorted. She wouldn't put it past them. Perhaps in a night of drunken stupor they had decided to live the life of women, secretly preying upon the unsuspecting girls that surrounded them.

Kagome cocked her head to the side as she considered that option. It could be the truth. But was it meant to go this far? She frowned in confusion. Inuyasha seemed so surprised to see her at first. Maybe it had started as a prank and then got out of hand? She gnawed on her lip in frustration.

There was really only one way to find out, and that was for Inuyasha to tell her the truth. She adored the man, she really did. However, he had been playing her for the past few weeks and had yet to come clean.

She nodded to herself. Until Inuyasha told her the truth, he was going to suffer blue balls on a regular basis. In the mean time, she was going to be the one playing him for once and she was going to savor every minute of it. This was going to be fun. She smirked as she secured a small pink towel to her waist, exposing her wet and bountiful globes to what she hoped would be an appreciative audience.

With the gusto of a woman who was about to do battle, she threw open the bathroom door and stormed over to the hotel room vanity.

"Kagome?" Shaya muttered in confusion before he stopped to stare in surprise at the other girl's chest.

The miko smiled inwardly as she noticed the golden eyes tracking her movements across the room. She also observed with satisfaction that the wolf demoness (errr… demon) was passed out in a drunken stupor on the other bed.

Kagome sat down, and her breasts jiggled like jello as she moved to and fro. First, she ran her fingers through her long, obsidian locks before she lifted up a comb to her hair.

Inuyasha was right at her side. He seemed to be speaking breathlessly as he took the comb from her with a jerk. "I'll, uhhh…comb your hair for you," he murmured lamely as he stared straight ahead into the mirror; his eyes were fixated on something creamy with luscious pink buds in the center, buds that were now erect in the coolness of the room.

He swallowed nervously as he tried to concentrate on combing the wet, silky hair under his fingers. Of course, that made him think about the wet, silky and practically nude body that was sitting before him. One clawed hand somehow made its way to Kagome's bare shoulder, and his jumpy digits really wanted to touch more of the smooth, warm skin. _Not now, you idiot!_

Kagome wasn't helping the matter much as she let her head roll back and moaned softly. _Moaning…breasts…_

"Crunch!" Somehow the plastic comb he was holding broke in his fist. Inuyasha looked at the broken pieces of black plastic in confusion. _How did that happen?_

He looked in bewilderment at Kagome. His mouth hung open as she smiled coolly at him and then moved to put on her pajamas.

The miko dropped her towel onto the floor, and his eyes trailed down her form, seeing her moist, pink skin and long, slender, bare legs. She turned to smirk at him in a very un-Kagome-like way before reaching into her drawers to pull out his favorite red, lacey boy shorts. He watched in admiration as the fabric clung so nicely to her curves. Then, she pulled on a red silk spaghetti top. He was a little disappointed that her lovely, naked body had now been partially covered. He was also wondering what could possibly be going on in her mind.

Kagome smiled as she beckoned him to bed. He completely forgot about her recent anger, that his friend was passed out on the next bed, or that he looked like a woman. After all of his time wanting her, needing her, desiring her, being in love with her, she was willingly asking him to join her in bed.

He quickly ripped off his yukata and was disheartened to see bouncy breasts on his chest. _What? Oh yeah, shit! She thinks I'm a fucking girl…_

His eager smile faded into confusion as he looked at his girlfriend before him. She had snuggled into bed and had pulled back the covers for him.

"Shaya," Kagome cooed. "Unless you want me to sleep in Kori's bed, you better join me."

_What? No fucking wolf will… _He swallowed again and tried to ignore the jiggling, non-existent appendages on his chest.

His body slid into bed with her. The covers were cool and his breathing was shallow. _I can't…are we…? Fuck, she still thinks I'm a girl…_

Kagome turned around to face him. He licked his lips as he gazed at her voluptuous curves that were barely concealed under the red silk.

Her hand reached out to touch his face and there it was, he felt it again. It was that shock, that feeling of electricity that surged between their two bodies whenever he got close to her. He tried to fight it off, at least for a few seconds. But, the pull was too great. It was as if their bodies were opposing magnets drawing each other close through an invisible attraction. His fingers tentatively touched her soft, warm skin; then, his body followed suit.

_Fuck. I'm going to hell…_

His lips found Kagome's, and he was lost.

* * *

The Jewel lived up to its name, especially on weekends, sparkling like a diamond among a cluster of wooden beads with its flashing lights and distinguished patrons. The well-known casino buzzed with life and excitement as dice were rolled and cards were dealt. Away from all the clutter, in a VIP room guarded by innumerable men in black, were a handful of gentlemen dressed in impeccable designer suits, engaged in a private poker game.

Naraku looked up from his hand. The leader of the tiger tribe sat to his left, his humanoid whiskers flicking up and down as he focused on the cards in his paws. On the right, Ryukotsusei of the Dragons sat motionless apart from the occasional lick of his lizard tongue on his lower lip and the almost unnoticeable puff of smoke that escaped his flattened nostrils with every breath. Naraku smirked slightly, pleased with himself for easily reading the signs of agitation on his rivals and giving them nothing in return. The crime boss was not one to show his emotions easily, especially when he had something to gain.

Right as Ryukotsusei lowered two cards down, a loud crash came from the doorway, sending every single soul in the room into action. In the blink of an eye, an army's load of guns were drawn out, half of them directed at the door while the rest faced the occupants of the room as the mob bosses regarded each other with distrust.

Thankfully, before bullets started speaking, a frightened waiter entered with a tray of glasses half of which were missing. "So-sorry, sir," squeaked the young man, almost dropping the rest of his glasses when he saw the abundance of barrels pointed at his head.

As the waiter, who was going to be an ex-employee before the end of the night, served their drinks, Naraku did his best to keep his irritation from showing on his features. With a stoic expression, he returned to his guests that were once again seated and reclaimed his cards.

"You should be more careful, boy," advised the tiger demon to the red-faced waiter. The young man nodded mutely, seeming eager to leave the room before he wet his pants. "Damn, that was unnerving," muttered the older man.

"Relax, gentlemen," interjected Naraku impatiently. "The Jewel is safer than the emperor's bedroom. I assure you, my men are the best guards one can find on these islands."

"Are you sure about that?" rose Ryukotsusei's deep voice. "The last time I heard, a mere underage hanyou brought down half of your guards," mocked the great dragon demon.

Naraku couldn't help it then; his eye twitched, giving away his annoyance. "Don't worry, my lizard friend," he muttered, earning an aggressive hiss from the dragon. "That problem will be solved soon. The boys will pay, and everyone will see that nobody crosses Naraku and lives to tell about it."

And, pay they would. Naraku was going to make sure of it. He was sick of the waiting game.

* * *

Sesshoumaru walked into the Seventh Heaven nightclub and was instantly hit with a putrid stench. Human pheromones assaulted him. The stifling scent of hundreds of aroused humans in close proximity to him made him want to vomit. He quickly pinched his nose as he walked purposefully to the back of the establishment.

The club's manager, Bankoutsu, was quietly sipping a fluorescent, green Midori Sour at the bar when Sesshoumaru strode up. The human responded with an oily smile.

"So, the only man who has ever gotten 'the Lady of the West' to give him a lap dance has returned," droned Bankoutsu. "How did you succeed?" The manager started to look him up and down appraisingly. "Does she only go for dog demons or does she like the metrosexual look?"

The dog demon's lips twisted in displeasure, but somehow, he retained his cool. "None. Of. Your. Business."

The manager smiled warily at him and tried to mask his discomfort. However, Sesshoumaru could smell the nervousness wafting from him. Bankoutsu moved backward and hit his back against the bar counter. Another uneasy grin met Sesshoumaru's eyes before the man tried to speak again. "So are you back for some more? Did Rin's little lap dance leave you wanting?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the man's blatant questions of his private affairs. Despite his desire to throttle the man who regularly put his naked Rin on display for others to watch, he instead took 500,000 Yen from his pocket and shoved it in the man's hand. "Tell Rin that I am waiting for her and that I require her presence immediately."

After pressing the contents a little too roughly, the dog demon turned to head to the room he had occupied last time with Rin. It was a room labeled, 'PRIVATE.'

He made his way into the darkened room. It was peppered with a few nested alcoves set aside for private dances. He glared momentarily at the video camera on the far wall with an attached flashing red light. He turned his back at the camera and brought out a mini portable DVD player from his pocket. With the speed that only a demon could possess, he quickly sped over to the offensive camera. Within a nanosecond, the camera was disconnected and then reconnected to his portable player. He hooked the DVD player to the camera's wall mount and pressed play.

His lips curled in the corners as he heard the dim sound coming from the player. He had managed to create his own video of him and Rin together in this very room. However, he didn't want anyone else to see her practically nude or the way he humiliated himself by cuming like a schoolboy. So, all that their audience could see was Rin entering to sit on his lap before an endless loop started to play, a loop where he had cut out any nudity or provocative poses. He had even managed to stifle their words, so all that anyone heard was muffled sounds. The idiots who ran the security video booth at the 'Seventh Heaven' would be none the wiser.

Pleased with his brilliance, Sesshoumaru advanced toward the solitary chair in the middle of the room. Amber eyes were alight with expectation as he took his seat facing the door. He was impatient for this encounter, and it felt like an eternity had passed before he heard the soft click of high heels approaching. He had to stop the bouncing of his leg and resume his usual stoic expression when the door slowly opened to reveal his scantily dressed ex-fiancée.

His _fuming_, scantily dressed ex-fiancée…

Liquid filled the back of his mouth, and the muscles of his throat reflexively moved to alleviate the discomfort. In other words, Sesshoumaru gulped.

She was a sight to behold, with white latex barely covering her breasts and sex; her dark hair fell down her back in carefully arranged curls. A large white boa was draped over her shoulder, covering one delicious globe on its way down and trailing behind her creamy leg after ghosting over her hip on the opposite side. Everything about her looked so soft and inviting—everything but the anger pouring out of her gaze, the narrowed line of her cherry lips and the hardened lines of her face. She looked like she was trying to castrate him with the sheer force of her glare. He should have been terrified. In fact, he _was_ terrified…

…by the magnitude of his excitement.

When had he turned into a kinky bastard? While he questioned his sanity, he tried hard to not make a move to adjust the roaring monster in his pants and give away how much she still affected him with a mere look—even if that look promised nothing but pain.

Rin kicked the door shut behind her with the heel of her sparkly stiletto and stomped toward him with angry strides. Before he could open his mouth for a proper greeting, she was perched upon him, her bare legs straddling his lap only to disappear from his sight at his sides. Without a single word, she started rubbing against his crotch and teasing him with the sight of her tits and the caress of the boa against his neck. Her eyes were closed as she pulled on the boa to bring his face closer to her bosom before sticking the tips of the feathery appendage between his open mouth and her silky skin.

Sesshoumaru was spitting white feathers as she pushed him back with her hands on his shoulders. "Rin," he called, demanding her attention. Her eyes opened then; the anger was still there but was now mixed with the desire weighing down on her eyelids, causing his dick to twitch in anticipation. Her nimble fingers made quick work of his buttons, and she pushed his jacket down his arms without breaking his gaze. He blinked, and then his tie was gone, flying to land somewhere behind him. The buttons on his shirt were undone by the time he managed to find composure. He cleared his throat before he started, "Why did you…"

He was cut short when she slapped his face lightly with her boa, causing him to blink in surprise. Unfazed by her ignorance, he tried again, "What were you…" This time, the annoying accessory was literally in his mouth, and he actually swallowed a few errand pieces of feather in the process. "Rin," he warned, losing his patience with her attitude. "Stop stuffing that thing in my mouth and let me talk."

"Why talk?" she purred. "I'm here for only one purpose, and that has nothing to do with talking." With an exaggerated roll of her hips over his hardness, she made him suck in a deep breath. The maddening scent of her arousal filled his nose then, and as he slowly released the deep breath he took, his chest vibrated his impatient growl. "It's my job, remember?" she continued with a raised eyebrow. "It's who I am now. Your humble servant for the next several minutes, _my Lord_."

"That is enough," he barked, displeased with her stubbornness. "You're here for only one purpose, are you?" he mocked before he snorted at her attempts to jab at him. "Foolish girl. You should have learned not to play games with this Sesshoumaru."

Large, brown eyes turned to slits at his taunting. "And what if I do?"

"You are bound to lose," stated the dog demon matter-of-factly.

Rin's dainty hands found leverage on her luscious hips, and she raised her chin in defiance. "Bring it on, you arrogant jerk."

Smirking, he leaned down, bringing the tips of their noses close enough to touch. Liquid gold locked on smoldering brown before he whispered, "You asked for it." In a swift move, he stood up, almost sending the chair toppling to the ground in his haste, and was caging her petite form against the wall. As Rin tried to breathe, he dipped his head down, reveling in the intensity of her scent in his nostrils while his lips reacquainted with the soft skin of her slender neck.

Rin's eyes rolled back, and her already erratic breathing faltered. Before she knew it, her leg came up to snake around his hips, which in turn pressed against her. Her pride demanded that she hold still, but her body had other plans as it welcomed his familiar hardness with the increasing wetness on her latex shorts and an answering thrust of her hips. A needy moan escaped her lips, eliciting a chuckle from the only man that knew how to make her body sing.

Sesshoumaru was having a hard time keeping in his voice of pleasure as he brought his mouth to her ear and whispered breathlessly, "You_ will _tell me everything you've been hiding before I'm done with you tonight."

That set the stripper's momentarily forgotten irritation off. Ignoring the disarming sensation of his tongue on her earlobe, his hand inching up her thigh and his dick creating havoc over her sex, she pushed against his chest, catching the dog demon off guard and somehow managing to change their positions. Having him cornered against the wall, she leaned forward, glaring up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "When _you_ are done with me?" she hissed, anger rolling off of her. "If anyone's doing anything tonight, that would be _me_. After all, it's my _job_. And since you _paid_ me so generously, the least you can do is to let _me_ perform for _you_," she quipped, before she added mockingly, "my Lord."

For once, Sesshoumaru was silent, feeling the guilt of having treated her so mercilessly the last time they had been in that room. However, his guilt trip ended abruptly when Rin returned to her teasing, pressing her barely covered bosom to his chest and rolling her hips suggestively as her hands found leverage on his shoulders. At once, his hands were on her waist, pulling her closer and trying to create the stronger friction his dick greedily demanded. He growled in annoyance when the girl stopped her movements. Raising one eyebrow at him, she indicated the camera with her head. "You clearly forgot the rules, _my Lord_." Brown pools of fury narrowed, and she made an impressive imitation of the dog demon as she growled out, "Hands. Off."

The smirk that appeared on Sesshoumaru's lips was unavoidable. In a whirlwind of movement, Rin was back against the wall. His lips ghosted over her ear. "Rin, I have taken the liberty of stopping the video camera. They'll never see me breaking the…" He paused to lick her neck. "…rules." He smirked as he heard her voice hitch with both alarm and pleasure.

The girl turned with wide eyes to look at the flashing red light of the video camera. "You're lying. Bankoutsu will be in here soon." She swallowed nervously as Sesshoumaru stared at her with both lust and longing. His desire for her had never faltered in the two years they had been apart, and unfortunately for Sesshoumaru, seeing her in her tantalizing hot shorts only made his denied need for her even greater.

"Have I ever lied to you, Rin?" he asked as his hands found purchase on her hips. His lips started to trail down her neck before they rested between her breasts, then the dog demon flicked his claws and her top fell to the side even quicker than his tie. "Now, where was I? Yes…"

Rin's breath hitched again, and both hands pushed desperately against the wall behind her. The only man who had ever made her scream in ecstasy swirled one of her nipples with his rough tongue. She was angry at him. No, she wasn't angry, she was livid! But her body betrayed her, and she moaned.

Wasn't this the man who had treated her like mere flesh to be bought and played with just days ago? And why was it that her body was still entranced by the idea of being his personal sex toy? Why did she ache for him and him only? Her traitorous body responded by letting more of her honey pool between her thighs.

Sesshoumaru stilled, and then she stiffened for a mere moment as a satisfied smirk erupted over his normally placid face. _Oh shit, he knows…_

"You want me, don't you, Rin?" he murmured languidly as a lone finger stroked up and down her thigh.

She started to growl in frustration, but then quickly realized that such an action would only spur on her demon lover. She didn't want him to know that he was her weakness, that even despite how terribly he had treated her last time, that she still wanted him—that she would always want him. She was still angry, but this time she would let her body do the talking.

Rin grabbed his neck forcefully and pulled his body against hers. Her open lips found his, and she drank from his mouth. Once their tongues intertwined for the first time in ages, she broke down and nearly sobbed. Even if he didn't love her anymore, even if he thought she was a cheap whore, she'd always love him.

Putting her hands on his burning chest, Rin pushed with all her strength, brutally ending their kiss and sending Sesshoumaru a few paces back in his surprise until he fell back on the chair. In three quick strides, she was back to straddling the flabbergasted dog demon. The girl raised her limbs momentarily to pull his pants and boxer shorts off. He didn't even fight her; instead he pulled desperately against the shorts that looked like liquid white. Her bosom heaved in a strangled breath when she realized that for the first time in two years, they were both naked and nothing was in the way of their coupling. She gasped when a hardened length rubbed up and down against her moistened curls.

And she wanted more…

Sesshoumaru didn't know for how much longer he could hold off. If this wasn't teasing, he didn't know what it was. His sex was so close to hers, and her exotic scent of arousal was wafting right under his nose.

"Rin!" he pleaded.

Golden pools of desperation looked up at the girl straddling his lap, and coffee eyes clouded with both lust and anger answered his gaze. His heart fell into his stomach as he realized she was about to join with him not in love, but in remorseless fury.

Her warm, velvety heat slammed down upon his rigid length.

He knew that he should stop things from proceeding any further, but he needed her any way that he could get her. He had been driven to the brink of desperation too many times while she was gone, wondering if she was alive, wondering if she had found someone else…

Her tight passage pulsed around his need. He couldn't help it as his hips thrust upward. He gathered her in his arms in an attempt to still her, but she rebuffed him by pushing his arms against his sides.

Her burning eyes stared straight into his as if to dare him to stop. His ex-fiancée's hands gripped his shoulders fiercely as her body repeatedly slammed against his. She drove herself against him, impaling her body in a needful wrath.

He hissed in both pain and pleasure. He felt like he was loosing control of reality as their intermingled bodies, sweat, scents, and sounds became a cacophonous rage.

Sesshoumaru was so caught up in the most beautiful torment he had ever endured that he barely noticed when Rin's lithe body started to shake and quiver. Her head fell forward, and her mouth opened as if crying a prayer of ecstasy. She shattered around him in an orgasmic release.

Her inner warmth both pumped and reverberated against his swollen girth, sending him into a freefall of his senses. Sesshoumaru threw his head back as his eyes rolled back into his sockets. He released and pistoned deep within her with frenzied desire.

When his body finally stilled, he was nothing more than a quivering mass. His arms fell limply to his sides and he could barely perceive Rin pushing herself off of him.

"Rin," he muttered weakly, opening his weary eyes to see the backside of his beauty walking away. Her curvaceous ass was once again covered in white plastic, a feathered boa was wrapped around her neck, but there was no bra hiding her ample bosom from the view of other men.

In a panic, he tried to find the latex bra he had cut off of her, but before he could pick it up, the door was forcefully shut. Rin was gone.

Sesshoumaru's heart sputtered in his chest with dread. He tried to collect his clothes and managed to pull them back onto his body. But by the time he was done, Rin had already exited the main floor and had swept into a room labeled, 'Employees Only.'

No door was going to stop him, despite the fact that he was haphazardly dressed, he tried to open up the locked door. Poison accumulated at his fingertips; he was more than ready to melt the knob off of the door.

Then a cold hand was on his shoulder.

"Sorry Romeo, you're not allowed to follow our dancers into the changing room," rang out a clear and steady voice that held an undercurrent of menace.

The gargantuan bouncer towered in front of him. The dog demon looked up and narrowed his eyes.

However, the bruiser seemed to be reading his thoughts. "If you walk into that room or break down that door, you'll never walk into the Seventh Heaven again. Bankoutsu doesn't care how much you pay."

The dog demon's head whipped around to notice the club's manager raising a glass of murky green liquid into the air. Bankoutsu smirked.

Sesshoumaru knew that he could take not only the abnormally large human, but every mortal and demon in this establishment that would keep him away from Rin.

However, he forced himself to take a calming breath as his icy gaze settled on the hand that rested on his shoulder. Then, his narrowed eyes threatened the man attached to the hand with only a glance.

The bouncer quickly pulled back.

Sesshoumaru chose his battles wisely. He didn't get as far as he had in business by fighting when it was a losing cause. He knew where Rin lived. It was a run-down apartment in the Shinjuku red-light district. He knew because he had her followed since their last encounter at the club. He would be damned if he was going to lose her again.

He'd simply have to bide his time. Rin was going to talk to him. He would simply have to approach her at her apartment and this time, he would find out what he needed to know.

* * *

The morning sunbeams fell lazily upon the dazed and naked hanyou, who never managed to sleep during the night. Kagome slept peacefully next to him with her top somehow missing and thrown onto the floor. Her rounded bottom was still covered by a lacey pair of boy shorts, and her head burrowed into his chest. One clawed arm crept around her waist, pulling her flush against his body.

He really didn't know if last night had been the best or worst of his life. His girlfriend had practically thrown herself at him. But the problem remained that she didn't know that he was really a guy. He spent most of the night trying to keep her wandering hands from his chest and his aching 'little Tessaiga.' And dammit, he really wanted her hands on his Tessaiga!

At that very moment, his hardness twitched against her naked thigh. Not only had he been suffering from blue balls all night, but now he was sporting a morning woody that desperately needed some action. He really wanted to burrow into the one hole that he had been telling himself he could never enter.

His clawed hand traced over the satin that covered the one area he had deemed forbidden. Unfortunately, his lower half was in complete disagreement with his upper half. He felt the warmth of her skin from underneath the silkiness that he was rubbing. He even made the mistake of breathing her scent in deeply.

"Fuck!" He smelled the intertwined scents of two aroused females. He would have rather smelled his masculine scent on Kagome's body, but the female scents surrounding her still smelled divine. It was something about smelling two girls who had obviously gone at it and enjoyed themselves that made his dick harden even more than it was upon waking. "Shit…"

One hand curled around his girlfriend's waist, and the other fisted his sheets. How long could he keep this up? How long could he pretend to be a girl? _Even if Kagome wanted a girl…_ He gulped. _What if she didn't like guys? What if she only swung one way?_ He tried to shake that unwelcome thought out of his head. _She did react to me when I emerged naked from the lake, right?_ His brows furrowed in worry. _Or was she just thinking about Shaya? _Kagome had asked to see Shaya when he emerged from the lake, not him. His girlfriend had even gone so far as to say that Shaya was the reason that she was horny.

_Oh, fuck no…_ His dick twitched helplessly against her warm, moist skin. He had to tell her the truth. He really couldn't continue torturing himself on a daily basis, even if she rejected him. And, she would find out eventually. One of these days, her roving hands would touch something that she shouldn't. The truth that he was a guy pretending to be a girl would be readily apparent if she ever tried to have sex with him. _Oh and goddamn, she really made 'Little Tessaiga' wild with need last night!_

He swallowed, again. He ran a frustrated hand through his silvery locks. _Today_. He would tell her today. Maybe she would understand, after she fried his ass with miko energy, and if she could forgive him for masquerading as a girl who had been privy to seeing her naked form in all sorts of compromising positions. _Shit…_

He tried his best to smile as she started to stir next to him, her body stretching like a cat. He tried to stifle a reaction as he looked at her taut tummy or the way her breasts expanded and jiggled.

Kagome looked down on her half-naked form, and a blush blossomed on her cheeks. He noted with amazement that the blush extended down to flush her neck, the valley between her breasts, and then it even grew on the skin of her bosom. He couldn't stop himself as his lips started to kiss and inch their way down her sweet-smelling skin. _Shit, she smells too fucking good. _He licked her skin like a happy puppy as he wandered down her body. Her breathing quickly started to heave, and he started to smell the salty, liquid that started to coat her thighs, again.

"Fuck! Will you two stop it!" yelled an irate wolf demon from the other bed. Kori had just managed to climb out of bed and her head was hanging between her legs in misery. "It's bad enough that I have a hangover. It's bad enough that I haven't been laid in ages. But did you have to fucking make out in the same god damned room with me? Shit, your stench is so strong that it's all over the damned room!"

Kagome pulled back the sheets in surprise. Kouga has been so hung over last night that they had forgotten that he was even there. She did look completely mortified at being caught making out with her female roommate. Inuyasha could only look on in disapproval as her lovely breasts were covered over with a sheet, the same bosom that he has been happily sucking on just moments before.

"I'll just, umm…take a quick shower," murmured Kagome as she pulled the bed sheet around her and then made her way off of the bed.

"Hey!" cried out Shaya as her nude female form was quickly revealed to Kori's gaze as the bed sheets were tugged away from the bed.

Kori quickly turned away from the two of them. "Cut that shit out, Shaya." Kori gulped as he tried to not remember Kagome's nude form or Shaya's voluptuous curves on the bed beside him.

"Not my fucking fault, wolf shit!" yelled Shaya as she managed to heft a pillow in the wolf demon's direction.

Kouga was then left to a fuming half-demon and his bittersweet memories of the night before. It was a night where, for perhaps the first time, he had truly enjoyed the friendship and companionship of a woman. He had been on a date with Ayame, even if his erstwhile roommate probably considered it a 'girls night out.' That was until they ran into Ayame's boyfriend.

He clenched at his covers as he remembered the bitterness that erupted from his gut when Ayame clung to her boyfriend in front of him. His sweet, naïve roommate threw herself at another demon. It was her boyfriend, but clearly, he was not worthy of her. Kouga couldn't help but to froth in anger over the situation. And she had kissed that smelly jerk, even when she was clearly on a date with Kori!

The bed sheets under his hands twisted and ripped. _She touched that scum, she kissed him…and it wasn't me…_

What had truly capped off the hellish night were Ayame's parting words. Words that quickly sent him into the nearest bar to deaden any pain he was feeling inside. She had left with her boyfriend to scout out a love hotel in Hakone, the same sort of 'rent-by-hour' hotel space that he had frequented in the past. She had told him not to wait up for her, that she would be spending the night enjoying some intimate time with her boyfriend.

The surging loneliness and hatred in his gut was something he was not used to.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome had spent the day with their classmates enjoying the sights at Lake Ashi. Well, at least the half-demon's roommate had enjoyed most of the sightseeing. While the girls of the Shikon Boarding School were snapping a multitude of pictures, he was trying to find a private moment where he could tell Kagome the truth. And what was even harder was for him to find the courage to tell her that he was really a guy disguised as a girl.

As he shuffled along behind his girlfriend, all he could think was that he would rather face a horde of Naraku's henchmen than face Kagome when she was angry.

She was scary when she was infuriated; her entire body simmered in rage and her cheeks flushed red. Actually, if he thought about it, she did look rather hot when she was upset. He thought for a few minutes about her body seething in rage and about the really hot make-up sex that they could have afterward. One fantasy led to another, and he really wasn't aware of how much time had passed. Only that his last image of her was of Kagome bent over in front of him, while his masculine form was slamming into her like a dog in heat.

His girlfriend stopped unexpectedly in front of him, and he bumped into her. Unfortunately, 'Little Tessaiga' ran into her as well and was very happy to have made her acquaintance.

"Shaya? What are you…?" muttered Kagome in confusion as the hanyou girl looked at her with a smattering of desire and uncertainty.

It took a few seconds for his very hot daydreams to fade into the reality in front of him. However, reality also held a very beautiful Kagome. She stood in front of him, with ebony strands of hair drifting softly in the wind. Her wide chocolate pools peered at him with surprise and an unguarded innocence that was a far cry from yesterday. It was almost as if her soul had been laid bare before him. For a brief second he felt that his heart would both fall and float. She was all he ever really wanted and he needed her. But, he needed and wanted her like a man wanted a woman. He really couldn't continue on this mad path anymore.

Shaya grabbed her girlfriend by the arm and dragged her away from the crowd that was exiting the tour boat.

If he was going to tell her, it might as well be now. He would just man up to things and admit to Kagome that he was really Inuyasha and that he had a crush on her for over two years, and that he had fallen irrevocably in love with her.

He pulled her against a pine tree and took a deep breath. Her lithe form was pinned under his taller one. Each of his hands slammed against the tree bark on either of her sides. He took a deep, calming breath before he looked down into umber orbs that gazed up at him in bewilderment and wonder. He swallowed nervously as he caught her cryptic gaze.

He wanted her to keep on looking at him with longing and love. He didn't want her to reject him. He needed her more than ever. Especially now that he had discovered his true reason for his temporary insanity and perhaps his widespread stuttering when she was near. She was his mate. She was his.

_But will she still want me when I tell her the truth?_

_One more kiss…_

If she was going to reject him, he needed to have one final kiss before she fried his hanyou ass into oblivion.

Tenderly and reverently, his lips moved down to caress her own. He slowly parted his lips to capture hers against his own. He felt a deep sadness well up within him as his mouth pressed more firmly against hers. Wondering if this would be the last time, questioning himself about whether or not she would ever want him again.

It was almost with a sob that he probed her mouth, exploring and questing for a love deep within her. A love perhaps that he would never capture as his own.

He pulled back and brought his hand to her cheek. He caressed it carefully with his clawed hand, treating her blushing skin like it was a precious and breakable object. He paused and sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to finally tell her what needed to be said.

* * *

A squat little man, with bulbous eyes stared at the two girls through his binoculars. Above him stood a tall, effeminate looking man in a pink kimono that was encrusted with green leaves and a purple scarf. The crouching man seemed utterly entranced with the beautiful women that he was viewing, while the taller man looked bored.

The shorter man considered the women breathtaking. Each girl had long slender legs and a curvy body. He decided that most men would have considered the silver-haired hanyou girl to be the prettiest, however he preferred dark-haired beauties. The raven-haired girl was just the sort of lovely, innocent that he lusted after.

"Oi! Mukotsu! Are you getting sidetracked again?" muttered the feminine man beside him.

The man peering through his binoculars only muttered in exasperation. "Jakotsu, just because you can't appreciate the finer points of a lovely female doesn't mean that I cannot."

Jakotsu leaned forward and flipped his scarf haphazardly away from his face. "I don't know what you see in those skanks. So what is the verdict? Are they the two girls we're supposed to grab or not?"

The short, fat man glared at the taller, slender one. "I'm pretty sure. The tall hanyou girl is the only one I can truly identify. Her ears give her away. The other girl may or may not be the wolf demoness, but if she isn't, I am sure that Naraku will give her to me as collateral."

The effeminate man moaned dramatically in exasperation. "Are you sure that you want to take the risk, Mukotsu? You know how the boss gets when he's angry!"

"Shut up," Mukotsu hissed as he tried to focus his lenses on the two luscious maidens. His binoculars traced up and down the girl's long and shapely legs. He was wondering how smooth they would feel under his hands. Then his heart nearly lurched into his throat when he spied the hanyou girl pressing her lips against the raven-haired girl.

He had never seen anything hotter in his life. He watched as two opposing pink, full lips explored each other. Then two pairs of firm rounds breasts were pressing up against each other with only thin cotton separating them. He watched as one hand decked with pink nail polish touched the bare midriff of the other girl before creeping up into her blouse.

"Ewwww," screeched Jakoutsu. "Don't tell me that those two hags are swapping spit!"

The shorter man's eyebrow twitched in crazed anger. "Can you just shut up for once?!" Mukotsu was temporarily blindsided by his partner, and he did his best to keep from screaming in exasperation when he returned to his lustful watch. The girls were no longer kissing. His eyes twitched even more, and he glared at his all-too feminine compatriot.

The slender man only flicked his hand away in a very feminine gesture. "At least they've stopped their gross displays," he mumbled while sticking his finger in his mouth to show a gagging motion.

Mukoutsu was furious, but he was also very turned on. He needed that girl and seeing her fall so wantonly with another woman just made him desire her even more.

He fiddled with two small pots filled with liquid and turned to face his companion. "This'll knock them right out. Then, we can grab them."

The taller man laughed. "You forget, Naraku said that I was to be handling the skanks. You can't even put one little hand on those hags." The man paused as he furrowed his brow. "Not that I understand why you'd want to." Jakotsu pulled on a gas mask over his face.

Mukotsu nearly growled in rage, but he knew that he had to be quiet and act quickly. The hanyou girl and the wolf demoness could easily take him down. But, he was the master at poisons and obfuscation. He had chosen a site that was downwind from his prey. They were far enough away that the demons would not even hear them unless they were listening very carefully. Luckily for him, the two girls were extremely focused on each other and were utterly disregarding everything around them. They seemed to be in a serious discussion.

Now was the time to act. He mixed the foul smelling liquids together and then gave the concoction to Jakoutsu to hurl near the feet of the girls.

The tall mercenary hurled the poisonous brew with precise aim. It exploded right behind the girls.

The silver-haired girl hissed in surprise as the noxious fumes rose all around them. Wisps of smoke obscured the area, but Mukoutsu distantly heard cussing that sounded odd coming from such a beautiful, young lady. Then the two figures fell coughing to the ground. The raven-haired girl seemed to sputter and heave longer than the girl who had dog-like traits.

Mukoutsu smiled. A dog or wolf demon would be almost instantly overwhelmed by the overwhelming stench, and that was before the paralyzing effects would even take place. Both of the girls would be out cold in mere moments.

His hands twitched. He couldn't wait to get a hold of the dark beauty. If only he wasn't stuck with a gay partner, he would have been sure to have had some fun with the beautiful and unconscious girl. He sighed. If what he suspected was true and that the girl was indeed not the wolf demoness that they were supposed to capture, then Naraku would give him the girl. He just needed to wait. Unfortunately, he was not a man of infinite patience.

* * *

***Reviewing is easier than confessing to your lesbian girlfriend that you're not a girl.***

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Next chapter:**__ Captured. Inuyasha and Kagome have been kidnapped by the Band of Seven. Will they get out unscathed?_

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: Yes, your authors will complete this story. We're currently looking at this story running about 20-25 chapters in length. However, real life interferes sometimes. _

_#2: Ai Kisugi needs some help finding a favorite Inu/Kags story that she has lost track of. The plotline consists of Kagome falling down the well into an alternative Feudal Ages where Inuyasha is human most of the month and turns into a hanyou once during the new moon. It's about 5 chapters in length and has two different endings. Does anyone know where it is? It was on the author's website. Help, help!_

_#3: Soundtrack for the lemon in this chapter: 'Love Bites' by Def Leppard, 'Sex (I'm A…)' by Berlin, and 'Flesh for Fantasy' by Billy Idol._


	15. Lost Among the Flowers

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_**Warnings:** Foul language and some violence.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas Hedanicree, SplendentGoddess and Theleb K'aarna  
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_The authors would also like to thank Eggry (author of another great fan fict called 'Guilty Hero'). She's a big 'Jackie Chan' fan and helped to brainstorm the fight scene in this chapter._

_For Eternal Destiny fans, consider this a very late and exceedingly long entry for the 'I was born for her' contest.  
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_Co-authored by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi  
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**Chapter 15: Lost Among the Flowers**

Soft ballet flats made little noise as Rin climbed the run-down stairs to her small apartment in the Shinjuku red-light district. After a long night spent in stilettos, her feet screamed in agony with every step she took, but she was used to the pain.

Once she reached her floor, she rounded the corner to the patio that led to her apartment with a tired sigh. With her head bowed in exhaustion, she trudged to her door. Rows of clean laundry fluttered in the wind, breaking the stillness of the night and caressing her bare arm as she passed. When she looked up, it wasn't the battered wood of her apartment door that her gaze fell onto, but a bouquet of daisies lying on the floor in front of it. The girl gasped in surprise as a cherished name fell from her lips in a soft whisper. "Sesshoumaru."

Ever since the dog demon had found her, Rin had been torn up. There was a reason she had disappeared without a word. She knew in her heart that her father's death had not been an accident and she had to prove it to the world. She needed justice. She had to get those bastards locked up so that they wouldn't hurt anyone else. This was her fight, and Rin had no intention of involving the ones she loved in this mess.

Especially not her beloved…

If she had told Sesshoumaru of her plans, there was no doubt that he would have stopped her. Even worse, he would have taken it upon himself to find her father's murderer. She couldn't let him endanger his life for her sake. Because she couldn't live if something happened to him, she had cut him out of her life.

When she had seen him again, she couldn't stand the accusations in the golden orbs she adored. She wanted to tell him that she never wanted to leave him, that she still loved him with all her soul.

But, the way he had treated her as if she was a common…

The girl shook her head to chase away the memory and crouched down to pick up the flowers. His hostility hurt, but she couldn't blame him for that; she deserved his anger, after all. However, that didn't mean she was going to stand his insolence. Expecting him to continue his insults, she hadn't let Sesshoumaru speak the last time he had shown up at the club.

But perhaps, insulting her hadn't been his intention at all.

A sad smile tugged at her lips as she breathed in the familiar fragrance of the little, white flowers. Daises were Sesshoumaru's way of saying 'sorry.' Her fiancé had never been one to apologize verbally; it wasn't in his nature. Instead, he used to give her daises whenever he had upset her, and every single time, it had been enough for Rin.

However, one apology was not enough this time.

With a wistful sigh and a firm hold on her precious flowers, the stripper took out her keys and engaged in a small battle with the rusty, old lock to open the door. Once the lock gave in, she shoved the stubborn door open with her shoulder and stumbled into her apartment with a muted curse. She stuck her keys back in her purse and dropped the tiny bag on the floor before she used her now free hand to turn on the lights. When her tired gaze landed on the small room that served as her living room, kitchen _and_ bedroom, her mouth dropped open.

Daisies…

They were _everywhere_. Over the counter, covering the battered wooden surface of her old coffee table, on the worn out futon that served her as both a bed and a couch, spread over the dull tatami mats at her feet… With the innocence and sincerity of their pure white petals, each blossom screamed 'sorry.'

'A thousand times sorry.'

The single bouquet she had been holding slipped from her slackened grip. "Sess," she whispered before a sob passed her lips. One of her hands came up to cover her mouth while the other clutched at her shirt over the excited bird trying to escape from her chest. Her apartment became a white blur behind the veil of the tears gathering in her mocha orbs.

"I really am, you know," murmured the deep voice of her beloved to her ear, earning a gasp from the young woman. Releasing her breath slowly, she leaned back into the reassuring warmth of the strong chest behind her. A small smile lifted the corners of her trembling lips as his arms wrapped around her waist, and his nose ghosted over her exposed neck, taking in her scent reverently like he used to do before she had left.

Slowly, Rin turned in his arms and looked up at his rueful eyes. "You hurt me," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Sesshoumaru caught it with his thumb as he gently cupped her cheek. He rested his forehead against hers and exhaled heavily. "You hurt me more," he whispered.

The young woman closed her eyes against the turmoil of emotions swirling in his golden eyes. She knew too well how much he must have suffered in her absence; she had felt the same. She fisted his shirt in her hands and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," was all Sesshoumaru said before his lips descended upon hers. Gone were the anger from their previous encounters and the urgency of their touches as the dog demon relayed his remorse and reminded her how much he adored her with the gentleness of his caresses.

When he pulled back, Rin could no longer hold her tears. "I'm sorry," she repeated between sobs.

Clawed fingers swiped her wet cheeks gently before she was pulled into his reassuring embrace. She sniffled into his shirt while Sesshoumaru shushed her and softly stroked her back. "Don't," he started as he tightened his hold around her. "Don't apologize. What's done is done. Just tell me…" He pulled back slightly to look her in the eye. "Why?"

The way he looked at her… She could feel his desperation, his need to know as if it was her own. Despite her need to protect him, Rin knew she could no longer keep the truth from him.

So, she talked.

She told him everything she knew about her father's job and his death, her suspicions, her decision to seek the truth, why she had told no one about her plans and cut her ties with everyone she loved, how she had gotten the job at Seventh Heaven, and what she had found so far. She could tell that Sesshoumaru wanted to interrupt or voice his displeasure with her actions several times, but to his credit, he kept his mouth shut and listened patiently.

Once she was done, the dog demon sat quietly next to her on the futon. Her anxiety grew every second that passed in silence before she finally broke down and asked, "Won't you say anything?"

He took a deep breath. "You can't go back to that place," he started. Rin tried to protest, but he silenced her with a finger on her lips. "I won't let you put yourself in danger. Leave it to me. I will deal with those bastards."

"No!" she cried out as she jumped to her feet. "Don't you see? This is exactly why I didn't tell you before! This is my fight, Sesshoumaru. I have to do this. I won't let you get hurt because of me!"

"So what?" asked Sesshoumaru with a low growl. His voice couldn't have sounded more dangerous if he had been yelling at her. "Do you expect me to sit back and watch while you throw yourself in the middle of cold-blooded killers?"

Rin gulped in nervousness. When he worded it like that, it did sound rather ominous. However, she stood firm against his piercing gaze and nodded her head determinedly. "Yes."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed down to slits, and he opened his mouth to object. However, he was interrupted when his phone started ringing. He growled in irritation as he snapped the device open and brought it to his ear without a glance at the caller ID.

"Takahashi," he answered angrily, but his voice took on a slightly more respectful tone when the caller spoke. "Miss Kaede, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing from you at this time of night?" His brows furrowed indistinctly, then—a look Rin knew very well that betrayed his confusion. "My sister? Oh, Shaya, yes," he said, and Rin wondered what he was talking about. She knew his family as well as she knew her own. Sesshoumaru did not have a sister. Her attention was turned back to the conversation when the dog demon asked, "Abducted?" She took a step back in surprise when Sesshoumaru jumped to his feet. "Higurashi girl? Kagome?" he asked, eyeing Rin warily.

Dread filled the young woman's heart hearing her dear sister's name used along with the word 'abducted.' Her eyes widened in fear and she took in a sharp breath, getting ready to demand an explanation, but he stopped her with an imploring look.

"Poison, you say. I see," he continued before ending the conversation swiftly. "Thank you for the information. I will let my family know."

Once he took the phone off his ear, Rin attacked him with questions. "What is it, Sess? What is wrong with Kagome? Who was abducted?"

Sesshoumaru seemed reluctant to answer her, but now that the cat was out of the bag, he guided her to sit next to him on the futon and started explaining. "It seems that your sister and mine were abducted during their school trip."

"Abducted?" Rin cried out before confusion took over. "Your sister? Sess, you don't have a sister."

The dog demon snorted in disdain. "Unfortunately, I do now." At his fiancée's questioning look, he reluctantly explained. "After you left, Inuyasha got out of hand. You remember how crazy he was about your sister?"

Rin nodded as she smiled softly. "He was absolutely smitten with her. He couldn't even speak when she was around!"

"He was a baka," commented Sesshoumaru. "He got even worse when she was no longer around. Fighting, drugs, alcohol… You name it. I didn't intervene at first. If the idiot didn't have the courage to get what he wanted and got wasted instead, it was his problem. But, the last number he pulled was hard to ignore. He and that moron, Ookami, got into trouble with a crime boss. They were sure to get killed if we didn't intervene. So, I had two concealment charms made for those two half-wits. They are now your sister's classmates."

"You," started Rin, flabbergasted. "You made Inuyasha look like a girl?" When the dog demon nodded, she burst into laughter despite her upset over Kagome's abduction. "Oh, my God! That's hilarious!"

"That's not all," continued Sesshoumaru. "I pulled a few strings to get him to stay in Kagome's room. If he will ever become a man and stop being a pain in the ass, he needs to learn how to keep his head together around his girl. That baka should thank me when this is over."

The young woman's laughter turned into giggles. "I'd love to see how Kagome will react when she finds out her roommate is a boy."

Sesshoumaru smirked in amusement as if he could see his little brother being pummeled by the girl in question. "That's the baka's problem, not mine. I can't do everything for him, can I?"

Rin shook her head as she sobered. "Do you think they were kidnapped because of Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru nodded thoughtfully. "I don't think your sister was the target, but regardless, they have her now."

"My sister… in the hands of a crime boss… Oh, Kagome," choked out the young woman as the severity of the situation hit her once more.

"Don't worry, Rin," said the dog demon as he stroked her back soothingly. "Inuyasha might be a baka, but he won't let anyone hurt her." He then stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked in alarm.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his beloved fiancée before he said, "To get your sister back."

Rin was on her feet at once. "I'll go with you," she declared with certainty.

"No, you won't," he ordered without a second thought. His voice left no room to argument.

However, Rin was too riled up to listen. "They have my sister!" she objected.

"Yes, they do," agreed Sesshoumaru. "And, it's without a doubt because of my idiot brother." He took her face in his hands and gazed at her coffee orbs with his stern golden ones. "This one is my fight, Rin. You'll stay out of it _if_ you want me to stay out of yours."

He left after giving her a kiss. As she watched him drive away from her window, Rin huffed, remembering that he hadn't promised not to get involved with her business.

He'd said 'if.'

* * *

Hojo looked at the gathered blossoms in his hands with a look of uncertainty. He had been gathering flowers for Kagome every single day since their ill-fated date. Their night had been wonderful at first, but in the end, the girl of his dreams believed that he had hit on her roommate. If only she knew how outrageous that idea was… However, Hojo was an optimist; he knew that the truth would win out eventually. He just needed to talk to Kagome. He was quite sure that if he could actually have a face-to-face conversation with her, he could explain that not everything was as it seemed.

Hojo honestly could never see himself with any girl other than Kagome. He snipped an errant crimson rose, with a deep burgundy blush with his cutting shears. He continued to shear off the sharp barbs so that Kagome could have a thornless rose. He added it to the other roses he had gathered.

Hojo had been dropping off bouquets of the most exquisite roses for more than a week, however Kagome still hadn't bothered to contact him.

He wondered for a second if Ari, the girl he dropped the roses off to, had ever given them to Kagome. She did look up to him with these absurdly wide eyes every time he came around to drop off some more flowers. However, the thought was quickly squashed. He couldn't think of any reason why she would lie to him. For that matter, he never really understood why anyone would lie. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was quite sure that everyone else did the same.

Perhaps Kagome never replied to his many overtures because she wasn't impressed with the roses? Maybe he needed to find something more exotic, something she had never seen before. He placed his collection of roses on a potting station and moved to the back of the greenhouse. The greenhouse belonged to his father's business. In fact, his father owned a number of buildings in greater Tokyo. However, out of all his father's buildings, the greenhouse was his favorite.

He looked at the door to the back of the building that connected to an almost never-ending collection of greenhouses. The head gardener had told him to not travel any farther than the rose gardens. However, his fingers twitched as he grasped the doorknob that opened to a menagerie of other glass buildings. Each greenhouse held more and more exotic flowers. Surely, there would be something there that would please her eye?

Without even a backward glance to see if the head gardener was watching him, he opened the door and stepped into yet another warm and humid greenhouse teeming with exotic buds and topiary.

As he wandered farther and farther away from the entrance, he found a few flowers that he was familiar with. Poppies were teaming throughout most of the frosted glass buildings. He spied colors ranging from crimson to yellow to deep gold to the palest pink. Each crepe-like flower held delicate silky petals with a fuzzy black center and long yellow-green stems.

His smile broadened across his face as he picked the perfect bouquet of poppies for Kagome. He paused for a brief moment, clasped his hands together in front of him in prayer and bowed to the spirits.

_Kami, all I want is a chance to talk to Higurashi and to tell her the truth. All I want her to know is that she's the only girl for me. _

He stopped his prayer and let a goofy smile spread across his features. Perhaps, the gods would bless him with an answer?

While Hojo was gathering his final selection of buds, he sniffed to discover the nauseating scent of smoke that drowned out the pleasant fragrance of the flowers. He turned his head in alarm and noticed that the small greenhouse next door had smoke wafting against its opaque windows.

The boy dropped the flowers and started to scream. "Fire!" he yelled as he dashed to the greenhouse in question.

Nothing could be worse than having his favorite gardens destroyed by flames. He pulled the greenhouse door open and coughed as lingering smoke crept out of the small-enclosed space as if stretching its fine tendrils into the surrounding air. Then, he shoved a few windows open to allow the cool midday air to diffuse the vapors.

Covering his face with his shirt, Hojo tried to find the source of the fire. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. For a fire, the smoke certainly wasn't dense. In fact, it seemed more like burning incense. _Perhaps, it had just started?_

Hojo peered into the building with a look of bewilderment. He saw rows of poppies sitting in potting trays before a very curious sight caught his gaze. Two girls were laying on the floor on a futon in the middle of a greenhouse! Next to them was a large incense pot that was emitting wafts of gray-green smoke.

As he looked closer, he was startled when he recognized the high school uniform and raven-black hair of the girl he had just been praying about.

"Higurashi!" he screamed in astonishment. She was unconscious and unmoving. The silver-haired girl who always showed up on their dates was there as well, equally still. _What are they doing sleeping in my father's greenhouse?_

He wasn't even thinking and soon found his feet at her side. He knelt down to gently shake her awake. "Higurashi! What are you doing here? Not that I mind or anything. I was just praying about you. I mean…praying about you letting me finally talk to you…and here you are… Higurashi? I need to tell you the truth. Honest, it's not what you thought! Higurashi?"

The girl was unresponsive. He paused to shake her once more. Panic crept in when she didn't wake up. His hands moved to her chest to check for a heartbeat, and another hand drifted over her nose to see if she was breathing. He sighed when he felt her chest move slowly up and down underneath his hand. Then, he looked down at his hand in alarm.

_My hand, on Higurashi's breast?_

His eyes widened curiously and then he gradually took his hand away from her bosom. He looked at his hand as if he had just gained the 'Midas Touch' and then started to hyperventilate. It was curious that he was feeling so light headed. However, that was how he always felt whenever Higurashi was near.

As he still looked at his outstretched hand in wonderment, he used his other hand to try to shake Shaya awake.

"Shaya, wake up," he murmured in a drunken stupor.

The sleeping hanyou girl yawned and then did a very un-ladylike thing; her hand slid under her skirt in order to scratch her crotch. Then, she muttered as she rolled over, "Just another fucking minute…"

Hojo's instincts were to recoil at the blatant trashiness of this girl's behavior. But, any friend of Higurashi's was worth his time. He shook her once more. "Wake up, Shaya!"

The edges of Inuyasha's mind were fuzzy with darkness. Someone was shaking him and wherever he was, it certainly stunk.

"Wha…?" He turned his head to and fro and looked around in a drugged haze. His golden orbs looked up and tried to focus on the image of the brown-haired boy wavering in front of him as if it were fog.

"Higurashi, she's unconscious! What's going on? Why are you sleeping in my father's greenhouse?" the boy questioned.

Inuyasha wanted to lie in a dazed state as the fumes lulled him into a dreamlike stupor. But something that the boy said made his heartbeat quicken in alarm and made his eyes widen. "Ka-go-me!" he yelled in a panic and tried to get up.

Just as his wobbly arms tried to prop up his unresponsive body, Hojo's eyes rolled back in their sockets and the boy passed out on top of him.

"Fuck! Get off of me, you moron!" yelled Shaya as she tried to push the boy away who had suddenly become a leaden weight.

A few more shoves, and the boy collapsed onto their futon with a happy smile on his face and a bit of drool running down his cheek. "Higurashi," the boy murmured dreamily as he squeezed the futon below him with one hand in blissful ignorance.

Shaya recoiled at the young man fantasizing in front of him. He would have yelled at the boy to stop thinking about his girlfriend if he wasn't so worried. Despite the way he had to drag his feet and his leaden arms, he managed to pull Kagome out of the greenhouse and into the fresh air outside.

He felt so weak. Anything that could attack him through his sense of smell was always his Achilles heel. The stench nearly made him pass out again, but he knew that he needed to protect Kagome. He needed to get her out of there.

He simply lay down on the cool, wet grass. He breathed in deeply, taking in the clean air and Kagome's gentle scent beside him. He was groggy, but he still found the need to clasp his hand with his unconscious girlfriend's.

Inuyasha's mind was in a fog, and somewhere in its dim recesses, he knew that he was forgetting something important. He was supposed to tell Kagome something. Something that she might not be happy to hear…something about him really being a guy… But, that was silly… He was a guy! Why would he need to…?

The hanyou looked down at his chest and noticed a girl's sailor suit uniform, a silly red tie and two heaving breasts that looked rather funny on his torso.

"Nooooo," he moaned. For at least one brief second, he was hoping that he actually looked like a guy and that Kagome had actually accepted him as one.

But, she still didn't know; she still thought he was a girl.

_And I was trying to tell her the truth when I was attacked…?_

His blurry vision looked around the perimeter. He saw swaths of green grass and greenhouses on either side of him. Wavering gray-green smoke flickered out of the door of the glass building in front on him and dissipated into the air.

He sniffed. _Poison!_

Since his rubbery body barely moved, Inuyasha continued to lie on the ground despite his growing panic. _Who would want to poison me with gas? _It took less than a second for his fog-addled brain to come to only one conclusion. _Naraku! How in the fuck did he find out who I really am? Now I'm really fucked!_

He tried to push himself to his feet. His legs barely responded, but the hanyou managed to stand on two feet. Quickly, he started to flap his arms in an attempt to keep his equilibrium. However, gravity pulled him down despite his protests that quickly became expletives.

Next to him, Kagome moaned softly. His ears perked up and twisted toward her even though his body felt like putty.

Then, he heard some voices approaching.

"Line the girls up so that I can take some pictures," said a gruff sounding man.

Another man answered; his voice was petulant and strangely lilting. "I don't know why I have to help you with those hags."

The other man had nothing but frustration in his voice. "I don't want your help, Jakotsu. I'd rather do this on my own. Why don't you go back to the club?"

The man called Jakotsu sounded bored as he replied. "Naraku was rather upset about the last girl you got your hands on. So, I guess I'm just a chaperone." He let out a bored whistle, before he muttered. "Why you have a thing for drugged girls, I'll never know…"

The first man seemed to be trying to stifle his frustrations when they came into Inuyasha's field of vision. He instantly recognized one of them. _That freak from the Seventh Heaven who tried to feel me up!_ The hanyou visibly grimaced. _Shit, I need to get out of here. I'm still too weak to take them on._

It was hard for him to move, but he managed to kneel next to Kagome and wrap her limp arm around his neck, while he held her waist. It was only through sheer determination that he managed to lift her up beside him and start their painstaking trek to a neighboring greenhouse.

His only thought was to find a place to hide, while his hanyou healing kicked in and let him regain use of his extremities. The adjoining glass building was filled with exotic, tropical plants. Most of them were towering bushes, about two to three meters in height, with green leaves that looked like a grown man's hand. He sniffed the air; somehow the plant smelled familiar and potent. It took only one more breath to determine what the plant was. _Marijuana? Where the hell are we?_ Inuyasha had not only sold the drug in high school, but he had imbibed it when stressed. He had just never seen the stuff before it had been dried.

He pieced together two clues. _Naraku kidnapped us. These are his greenhouses? Does he also sell drugs? I thought he only ran an illegal casino._

The hanyou girl quickly ducked between the myriad of rows of tall, willowy vegetation. Luckily, the fronds from the cannabis plants provided more than enough coverage. He placed Kagome gingerly down between two aisles. She seemed to be concealed, at least from humans who had no sense of smell.

It was then that he noticed her cloudy mocha eyes looking at him in confused wonder.

Her head cocked to the side and the silliest grin appeared on her face. Her hand quickly found their way to his ear and started to fondle one. His breath rapidly accelerated as his body reacted to her touch. "Oh, I always loved your ears," Kagome said soothingly with a vapid grin on her face.

_What in the hell was in that poisonous gas? It's making Kagome all dopey._

One hand gently fingered his overly sensitive ear while another hand crept down his neck and pulled his body on top of hers. Suddenly, he really didn't feel the need to stop her.

"Ohhhh," she moaned, and he found that her breathless sighs made even his drugged body react. She had her legs spread underneath him, his growing hardness nestled in a tantalizing spot. He hadn't meant to put himself in this position, but now that she was so warm and soft and below him…

_Shit! She's going to give me blue balls again!_

"Kagome, we've been kidnapped. You can't just…" _Though, I really don't mind…Dammit!_

Her eyes slowly closed and opened again. The cloudiness that obscured her vision seemed to recede.

"Kidnapped...?" The girl blinked to look around her. She spied the tall plants and the concrete floor she was lying on. Then she looked up at the body that was between her thighs. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes widened. "But you were kissing me and now we're…" The confounded girl sat up and Shaya reluctantly moved away from the compromising position they had been in.

_Damn..._ He tried to adjust himself, but it simply looked like he was fiddling with his skirt. "…at Naraku's greenhouses apparently…," added Shaya.

"Who is Naraku?" asked Kagome in bewilderment. She paused while her fingers thrummed against her cheek. "Why does that name sound familiar? Isn't he the father of Kagura and…"

"He's yakuza," Shaya amended in a whisper. "And, keep your voice down."

"But why would he kidnap us?" begged Kagome in a soft whimper.

Inuyasha tried to reply. He looked momentarily dumbfounded, until he placed his hand on Kagome's chin. "It's not you he wants—it's me."

"Wha…what?" responded Kagome as she tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind.

Then, Inuyasha heard the men speaking again.

"Be quiet," he whispered as he put his hand on her mouth. "Stay still and quiet. I need to get us out of this."

His ears swiveled as they tried to pick up on the conversation of the kidnappers. The voices were coming from the other greenhouse and would be too soft for Kagome to perceive.

"What the hell! Where did they go, Jakotsu?"

The effeminate voice droned on. "Don't ask me, Mukotsu. You're the one who was supposed to keep them drugged and unconscious."

"Hey, who is that…?"

"Oh, a lovely boy," murmured Jakotsu with a wistful sigh. "Can I keep him?"

For a brief second, Inuyasha honestly felt bad for abandoning Hojo. The boy had been trying to get them to wake up. The idiot was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. But if he hadn't been there, Mukotsu might have…and now, Jakotsu might…

Inuyasha shivered in disgust. He then made a determination. He was too honorable to just leave the guy there to be molested, even if he didn't have the strength he needed. His body was still drugged and sluggish.

"Wait!" the older man's voice rang out. "It's Naraku's son. This could be a trap!"

_Naraku's son…? Wait, Hojo is…? What the f….?_

The other man whined. "The boss' son?" Jakotsu's voice then took on a subdued quality. "What a pity. Still, I like the scruffy type better."

"Don't tell me about your sexual preferences. Just help me find the prisoners."

A labored sigh was heard from the effeminate man as the clank and 'shik' of a sword reverberated through the enclosed space. "Yes, I'll help you find the two skanks, Mukotsu." His tone then took on a juvenile edge as he continued. "And when we see Naraku, I'll be sure to tell him that this is all your fault."

Inuyasha's hands were still on Kagome's mouth when he swore under his breath. "Fucking freak! I should've killed him when I had the chance!"

"Muumph?" muttered Kagome as she looked up at Shaya with surprised wide eyes.

He had forgotten that he had been trying to silence his girlfriend or that she couldn't hear the exchange. He looked at her sternly while gently releasing her lips.

Inuyasha could tell that her heartbeat was starting to accelerate. "How…how do you know the kidnapper?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Met him at the Seventh Heaven after I followed your sister there," murmured Inuyasha distractedly before he put two fingers to her lips. "Shush… And don't move from this spot. I'm going to protect you."

"But…I," Kagome stammered while she clutched at Shaya's shirt in order to keep her from leaving.

"Let me protect you, dammit," the dog-eared girl pleaded with her expressive golden eyes.

_Inuyasha…_ Kagome swallowed and nodded dumbly. As she watched her hanyou move away, she felt a twinge of sorrow creep into her chest. _Why are they after him? How did he get mixed up with the yakuza?_ Then a piece to the puzzle finally fell into place. _Was he hiding out as a girl to get away from the yakuza?_ She was still angry at his obvious duplicity, but now it was being coaxed over by a genuine concern for Inuyasha's safety. Why would someone as macho as Inuyasha accede to hiding as a girl? She groaned to herself. _He must be in a lot of trouble. There is no way he would willingly look like a girl unless it is something serious._

Perhaps for the first time since she had woken up, fear shook the miko's small frame. However, this time she wasn't afraid for herself; she was worried about Inuyasha. _He's going out on his own; he still seems weak; he doesn't have his Tessaiga; they are probably armed… What if they have guns?_ Dread quickly gave rise to irrational thoughts. _I have to help him. He can't go at this alone. If anything happened to him…_

She let that last thought fade as she steeled herself up for a fight. Kagome had many years of experience fighting in her classes at the Shikon Boarding School. Of course, they had never taught her to go against anything other than traditional martial arts' weapons, but she wasn't helpless—even if she felt a little woozy. Her eyes darted around the greenhouse until she spied a large shovel. She carried it in front of her like a wooden staff. She gripped it firmly while grumbling silently. _Stupid, gorgeous, macho, dog-eared, troublemaker…_

Inuyasha silently crept along the rows of spiky greenery and towering fronds. The cannabis plants were very good for camouflage, especially since his school uniform was also green. His ears swiveled to pick up on noises that an ordinary human ear would not have heard.

He heard the footfalls of one man walking closer to the greenhouse that he was in. Another set of footsteps trailed behind, warily. As with any fighting situation, he moved his hand down to grip his Tessaiga, only to find that his hands were clasping…_nothing? Oh shit! I don't have my Tessaiga!_

Golden eyes flitted left and right until he spied a wide-toothed, bow rake next to him. He grasped the long wooden handle firmly and moved under the greenery. His eyes fastened on the greenhouse door and the doorknob that was slowly turning.

Whoever opened the door did so softly and with great care. Inuyasha nearly revealed himself by cussing once the door showed a tall, slender man in a pink kimono with stylized green leaves on the silk. The man's face was almost creepy with his serious, yet amused expression. Two streaks of purple rained down from his eyes like tears, and his long, black hair was held in a messy bun. He also held a long, silver sword that looked like a scimitar. For once, Inuyasha was glad that he was facing this foe looking like a girl, rather than a guy. At least as a girl, he wouldn't have to deal with that man trying to get under his skirt again.

Inuyasha waited until the man stepped close enough to the foliage he was hiding behind to make his move.

With swift movements, he jumped high behind the effeminate swordsman, his rake held high and prepared to strike the kimono-clad man hard on the head.

Unfortunately, the man seemed to anticipate an attack and held up his blade against his back, effectively blocking Inuyasha's strike.

The clang of metal against a hard wooden pole echoed throughout the glass building and Inuyasha fell backwards. _Shit! I'm not as fast as I should be with these drugs in my system. _Jakotsu swung his blade down in Inuyasha's direction. It was only his demonic senses that allowed the hanyou to throw himself on the floor before the blade skimmed above his head. As the sword glided past his dog-ears, he could hear the fronds of the cannabis plants being cut.

When he looked up, he could see a round area three meters in diameter that looked like it had been hacked by an overzealous hedge trimmer. His body, of course, was at ground zero for the whacked greenery. _Shit!_

The other man's whiney voice started to screech. "What the hell are you doing, Jakotsu? You can't be chomping down the pot plants! You just wasted millions of yen. And don't you dare cut up those girls, they look much better if they're in one piece."

Jakotsu only muttered to himself. "I really don't care for hags. If they get a little boo-boo or two, they'll survive."

"Jak! Don't…you can't cut up the girls!" hollered the spastic short man.

Jakoutsu only answered with another sweep of his sword. This time, Inuyasha watched as he saw the blade snake into a multi-bladed weapon, lengthening to over three meters. Then, it whizzed around the wielder and tried to cut Shaya in half.

Inuyasha blocked with the rake, only to find that he was now holding two pieces of a rake in his hands. One hand held a wooden pole and the other hand effectively had a large hand rake. _Fuck!_

The hanyou dodged another whirling round of blades as he contemplated his next attack. Jakotsu's blade was too sharp to take on with a rake. But perhaps, if he used it like a 'sai' and simply caught the blade in its 'teeth'?

Inuyasha jumped into another aisle of growing marijuana plants, giving himself enough cover to take another action.

"Where are you, little chicky? Where are yyyooouuu?" mocked Jakoutsu as he pursed his lips and held his blade behind his back.

Kagome had managed to slowly move in from the other direction, effectively skirting behind the skirmish. She eyed the felled plants warily and proceeded to bend low as she walked.

While she approached she noticed a short, bald man with eyes like a frog. He seemed to be wailing about something to the other man. _Good, he's distracted. Maybe I can take him down._

The miko wasn't very worried when the exasperated midget took some bottles from his backpack. She was only concerned with moving with enough stealth so that she could knock him out with her shovel before he was aware.

Inuyasha sniffed the air as a familiar scent came far too close to where he was hiding. _Dammit! I told that stubborn girl to stay hidden. Now, I need to distract them!_

"Over here, you freak!" Shaya stood stoic and emotionless in her schoolgirl's uniform, her long silvery hair sweeping past her shoulders and white dog-ears standing up at attention. She held the top of the wide-toothed rake in one hand and the long wooden handle in the other.

Jakotsu only smiled grimly. "Tee hee. Oh, a brave girlie!" He brought his sword around again, preparing for a final strike.

Kagome's eyes widened in horror as she saw Inuyasha putting his life on the line for her. _No, you can't do this to me, Inuyasha. Not when I love you…I…_ She was motionless as the actual meaning of the words suffused themselves into her brain.

The short man screamed and nearly dropped his bottles. "No, Jak! Don't hurt the girl."

It was enough of a distraction that Kagome rose up tall behind the squat man. With a firm hand on her shovel, she managed to whack the flat edge of the metal against his head. Mukotsu was quickly silenced as his body collapsed and his concoction spilled onto the floor.

Then with no thought to her well-being, she dashed toward Shaya and the ongoing fight. She tried to effectively swipe the swordsman with her shovel, but was caught unawares by the trick blade. The sword fell in a quick arc, effectively chopping off more cannabis leaves and cutting her shovel in half.

"Dammit, Kagome! I told you to stay away!" yelled Shaya as she rushed Jakotsu.

The swordsman's blade swung low again and Kagome could only watch in horror as the silvered weapon closed in on her head. _Oh, Kami! May the gods protect me…_

Her eyes shut at the last moment to feel a rush of wind and the clang of steel on steel. "Fuck! Kagome, get the hell out of here!" yelled Inuyasha. His feminine voice was deep with anger.

Kagome put her hand to her throat. She had been sure that it would have been severed just moments ago. She looked up to see long legs in front of her, a short green skirt and a mass of silvered hair with dog-ears twitching on top. "But!" she protested.

"Will you shut up and let me protect you?" screamed Shaya as she stood between Kagome and Jakotsu, her rake held like it was a sword to be wielded.

Words escaped Kagome's mouth before she had time to retract them. Her emotions were too strong to be held in check. "I love you," was all the teenage girl could whisper to the hanyou's back.

Hearing the magical words from the miko's sweet voice, honeyed eyes widened in disbelief, and Inuyasha's back stiffened. _Did she just say that she loved me? Fuck, she loves me!_ Elation then coursed through his veins, and a cock-eyed grin graced his features before quickly being stifled by reality. _Shit, she just told Shaya that she loved her. She told _a girl_ that she loves her. Shit! Fuck! Dammit! This fucker is going down!_

Inuyasha swiveled in front of his girl as the blade fell down against him again. But this time, he was ready and nothing was going to get past him, not when he had someone to protect.

The blade caught in the twirling teeth of the rake. With one swift pull, Inuyasha ripped the snake-like sword from Jakotsu's hands, effectively disarming his opponent.

However, instead of acceding defeat, the effeminate man only laughed in hysterics. "I didn't know that Ookami and Takahashi were lesbian lovers. This is so rich!"

Shaya stiffened at the accusation. _There is no fucking way that me and the wolf… What did he say…Ookami? He thinks Kagome is Kouga? How in the fuck…?_

"I'm not Ookami!" protested Kagome. "I'm a Higurashi!"

"Higurashi?" murmured Jakotsu before his eyes narrowed into snake-like slits. "If you are related to Detective Higurashi, then you should die like he did." The weaponless swordsman ran forward trying to attack the prone girl, but the hanyou was quicker.

It only took a swift upper cut to his jaw to knock Naraku's freaky pawn unconscious, but the dog-eared girl kept on hitting. "Don't you ever threaten Kagome. You'll never hurt her!" More blows fell against the man's face creating a bloody mess. "She's mine, dammit. I was born for her." He hit the man in the face again. "And she…she was born for me…" Both his fists and his mouth stilled as the hanyou felt a tender hand grace his back. His stuttered breath left him in abrupt heaves and he felt like he could be either blown apart or mended by the girl behind him. He never felt so helpless as he did when she was around.

Inuyasha dropped the man he was fighting into a heap on the floor. With his miko's touch, his entire body seemed to melt. "You love me?" Shaya asked Kagome even though her back was to the miko.

Kagome moved closer and encompassed him with her arms, hugging him from behind. "Always," she whispered as she pressed herself against his back.

He didn't know whether to sob or cry out in joy. She had just told him that she loved him, but she had told it to a girl, a girl that was not Inuyasha, a girl that Kagome was rapidly becoming far too attached to. _Oh, fuck me…_

"Kiss me," Kagome murmured to his back.

All Inuyasha could do was comply. He'd do anything she wanted of him. He'd even pretend to be a girl for the rest of his life if it meant her happiness.

He twisted slowly in her arms, to finally gaze down at two orbs of swirling mocha. He felt so helpless as she gazed up at him with her eyes speaking of only adoration and love. He would have killed to see this sight. He had dreamed of this moment for years. But in his dreams, his miko had been looking up at the man that he was, not a damned girl with ridiculously large breasts.

_Don't fucking cry! Men, don't cry…_

Tears crept into the corners of his eyes as the hanyou closed them and his lips met Kagome's. His hands held her shoulders, and he pressed his hard body against her soft form. Then he fell into her, her grace, her lips, her love… Time seemed to both slow and speed up; all he knew was that they were both being held in a timeless second, and a world of their own.

Unfortunately, the real world intruded as it always did.

A loud, blissful moan was heard from the other greenhouse. "Higurashi," bellowed out Hojo, before a happy sigh followed the cherished name, irritating Inuyasha to no end.

Sweet, wet lips pulled away from his and the hanyou groaned in misery.

Kagome turned her head in startled curiosity.

"I swear that I just heard Hojo," muttered the miko.

Inuyasha looked the other way as he tried to dissuade her. "How could Hojo possibly be here?"

Kagome's eyes widened in understanding, "Naraku kidnapped us…and Hojo is his son…"

Inuyasha could only look on in befuddlement. _How come I'm the last to know that those two were related?_ "You knew that Hojo was his son?"

"Well, yes," answered Kagome with a gaze of perplexity. "I mean, he's Kagura's brother. He's been asking me out for a number of years. But I wasn't attracted to him, I was attracted to…" She gazed up at Shaya, looking momentarily into her honeyed orbs. Then she quickly fixed her eyes to the ground. "…my crush…" She took a deep breath and then paused, her lips quirked upward as if she had just thought of something funny. "But, my Dad told me to not see Hojo. He said that Hojo was trouble. He said…" She gazed back at Shaya and locked eyes with her. "He said, like father…like son."

_Fucking right! At least someone agrees with me!_ Inuyasha tried to squelch his joy at being on the same page as her deceased father.

Shaya looked at her with steel eyes. "Then, stay away from him, Kagome."

The miko looked up at him with determination. "I agree, Shaya, but I still need to close up this chapter of my life. Let's try to wake him before we leave."

"But…I," stammered Shaya as she trailed after Kagome like an errant puppy dog. "Your father said not to see him."

Kagome flipped her hand at Shaya in a dismissive gesture. "I know...I know. I just need to get him to stop trying to see me and I think I know just the thing." The miko headed right back into the room with the drugged incense.

"Shit! Kagome, stop!" Shaya placed himself before the miko and tied his sailor necktie around his nose. He pushed Kagome to the side. "This stuff will knock you out," he muttered in annoyance before he dodged into the building.

He held his breath as he quickly ran in to grab the boy and throw him over his shoulder. Within a few seconds Hojo was sputtering and coughing on the grass near Kagome's feet.

The brown-haired boy's eyes opened, but he didn't focus on anything. Instead his dazed eyes drifted from side to side as if he was watching clouds meander on by.

Kagome knelt down and tucked her skirt around her thighs. "Hojo?" she asked as she gently rocked his shoulder to gain his attention.

The boy dazedly gazed at the object of his affection. A huge grin broke out over his face. "I think I was dreaming about you. Higurashi…" The boy tried to sit up and then fell back down as he collapsed backward. "Oops…I…Higurashi…"

With a serious gaze, the miko looked at the boy and took in a deep breath. "Hojo, I have something I need to tell you."

The boy smiled before trying to sit up again. This time he managed to hold steady as he gathered Kagome's hand in his. A growl reverberated around the atrium, but Hojo just seemed oblivious.

"I have something I want to say as well, Higurashi," responded Hojo blearily. "I…I wanted to talk to you." He eyed Shaya warily. "It wasn't what it looked like. I'd never want another girl. I only wanted you!"

The miko's stern face took on a look of confusion. "What? What are you saying, Hojo? Why did Shaya shove you to the ground?"

"I don't know, Kagome. I only told her that I didn't want her. That I only wanted you."

Kagome turned to Shaya. "Shaya?"

Shaya stood with her arms crossed and a frustrated scowl on her features. "Look, Kagome… I've told you this before…He wasn't flirting with me. The idiot thought that I was interested in him, and he was telling me that you were the one he liked."

Kagome's eyes widened comically. "But you…" she paused to point at Hojo. "I mean…you," she paused to look in a daze at Shaya.

Hojo tried to pull Kagome's hand next to him, and Kagome recoiled. It felt so wrong for him to be touching her. She knew deep inside that she didn't want him near her. She only wanted one person to be intimate with her, and that was the hanyou beside her.

"I would never betray you, Higurashi," commented Hojo with sincere brown eyes.

Kagome blatantly ignored Hojo to look in confusion at Shaya. "When you said he wasn't flirting with you…"

Shaya looked her directly in the eyes. "I told you the truth, Kagome. Have I ever lied to you?"

Kagome shook her head. What was going on? Her lying hanyou boyfriend and even Hojo were evidentially telling her the truth. And even though Inuyasha would have gained from lying to her, he hadn't. But he had lied to her hadn't he? Hadn't he lied to her before?

Kagome paused to think. She had never asked him straight out if he was really a boy. So technically he never lied to her other than make up a girl's name and say that he was Inuyasha's sister. The miko's eye twitched in annoyance.

Then, she thought back to the night where she found Hojo on the floor and Shaya standing above him in anger. She reprocessed the image in her head, but this time replaced Shaya with a very angry Inuyasha.

She nearly gasped. _Was he jealous? Did Hojo say something that made Inuyasha finally snap?_

"Oh," murmured Kagome as a realization dawned on her. Suddenly, she felt bad for teasing Inuyasha mercilessly and for suspecting that he had anything other than the purest of motives. Though she didn't fully trust him yet, she felt like she finally had the heart to forgive him for putting her through the uncertainty of falling in love with his female persona.

Hojo beamed a silly smile in Kagome's direction. "See, even Shaya is saying that I told you the truth." He gathered her hands again, pulling her toward him. He was too oblivious to notice Kagome's stiff form or the hanyou's agitated snarls. "Please, Kagome. Forgive me and please go on a date with me again." Kagome opened up her mouth to speak and then closed it, to only open it up again as she pulled away from Hojo's embrace. The boy looked down at her forlornly. "Kagome?"

Kagome's wide mocha orbs spoke to him with genuine honesty. "I am so sorry that I didn't believe you, Hojo. You didn't deserve that. Shaya even told me that you weren't trying to pick up on her. I just didn't believe her."

"But why, Kagome?" asked Hojo as his eyes searched hers.

"Why would you go for a plain girl like me, when you could have a gorgeous girl like Shaya?"

Hojo tried to cup Kagome's face with his hands, but she pulled away, and Shaya was growling again. "Kagome? Don't you know that you are beautiful?"

Kagome looked in bewilderment to both Hojo and Shaya. "I…I," she stuttered.

Hojo interrupted. "You are all I think about, Higurashi," said the brown-haired boy. His eyes met hers again. "So can we start over? Will you go on another date with me?"

Shaya's snarls increased in volume and Kagome was a little worried that Hojo would soon have a fight on his hands. She quickly intervened and moved between the two contestants.

"Hojo," Kagome explained. "You just don't understand. Shaya's my girlfriend."

Hojo looked back and forth between Kagome and Shaya. "Yes, I knew that," continued Hojo. "If you're asking if she can go on a date with us, that's OK. I'll just ask Hiten if he can go out with us again."

"No," responded Kagome. "You don't understand. Shaya is my GIRLFRIEND. I love her."

"Of course, she's your girlfriend. Of course, you love her," said Hojo as he nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't expect anything less of someone as wonderful as you. Still, I don't see what this has to do with…"

Kagome groaned in frustration and put her hand to her forehead. She turned to Shaya and grabbed the girl by her sailor suit tie. With the tie in her hand, she quickly pulled the girl's face to her own. "You don't understand, Hojo. I love Shaya."

And with that Kagome's lips met Shaya's. The hanyou girl's eyes widened momentarily before closing in bliss as the two girls' mouths opened to explore one another. The miko's face held nothing but pleasure as they expressed their affection in terms that were far from what a mere friend would do for another.

Hojo could only stutter as Kagome pulled away from Shaya. She grinned knowingly at her former beau. "Hojo," she added. "I'm a lesbian. I don't like boys. Thank you so much for wanting to date me, but I'm just not interested." _There, that should keep him from ever trying to go after me again! Hojo was never the guy for me…it was always Inuyasha._

A quirky smile tugged at her lips as Kagome pulled Shaya along behind her.

Both Hojo and Inuyasha were left gaping in astonishment.

Inuyasha could only whimper in defeat as he was dragged along after his girlfriend. _Dammit! Kagome really is a lesbian? I am so fucked!_

* * *

Heavy smoke hung over the circular table as its occupants assessed each other through the mist emitted by their cigars. Ryokotsusei sat smugly; the barely concealed smirk on his face betrayed his excitement with his hand. Naraku couldn't care less; he was having a good day, after all. Now that the girls were captured, it was only a matter of time before he got his hands on their idiot brothers.

He was biding his time now, letting the parents' fear for the lives of their precious daughters grow each passing minute. Then, he would demand that they give him their sons in exchange for their daughters. This was his favorite game—waiting to rile his victims up and basking in their misery. He hadn't become a mob boss among demons for being compassionate, after all.

When he had received the news the day before, he had called his peers for an early poker game; there was no better way to kill time while he waited than to add that ugly lizard's stash of Yen to his own. His luck was finally turning around; he was sure to take all of the winnings from those bastards.

Naraku glanced at his hand. He was lacking the ace of hearts to complete his royal flush. He put down the useless card and signaled that he wanted only one. Once the dealer gave him his new card, the mob boss' hand hovered over it. His fingers twitched in anticipation as he stared hard at the piece of paper as if he could make sure it was what he needed by the sheer force of his gaze. Right as he was pulling the card up by the hold of his two fingers on its edge, a loud crash was heard outside.

The room went into a flurry of action in the blink of an eye. Once again, dozens of guns were drawn out as the guards directed them either at the door or at each other. From across the table,

Ryokotsusei rolled his eyes at the over-excited gunmen and snorted in disdain. "Naraku," he started with an amused chuckle. "I admire your ability to hire the most incapable servers in all of Tokyo, my friend. You should let us know how you manage that sometime so that we'll be sure to not make the same mistakes." He smirked before he added, "Though, I doubt we'd be able to keep up with you even if we tried."

Naraku's eye twitched in irritation. "I thought I already fired that idiot," he grumbled as he signaled the guards to put away their guns.

Right then, the door burst open and a blur of black and white stormed inside. Instantly, the few guns that were drawn back were incapacitated by a green light. Before Naraku could even contemplate what it was, the same green light was wrapped around his neck as the intruder held him up against the nearest wall.

The offending substance that hurt like hell wherever it touched his skin turned out to be a whip made of acrid demonic poison as his Armani-clad attacker came into focus. Naraku looked up at the fuming eyes of Takahashi Sesshoumaru with irritation. "What the..." he started to ask, but his voice was cut as the whip tightened around his neck.

"You will return my sister and the Higurashi girl back unharmed this instant," demanded the dog demon with a menacing growl.

Not one to be intimidated by the likes of whom he would refer to as a mere puppy, Naraku hissed, "How dare you?" He glanced at his men, willing them to shoot the bastard, but Sesshoumaru pulled on his whip, threatening to behead his prey and discouraging the few guards that moved to draw their guns.

"Do as I said, Naraku," growled the dog demon. "Or else…"

"Who says I have your sister?" shot back the mob boss. "And… Who else did you say? Higurashi girl?" He snorted before he added as nonchalantly as one could when his head was on the line, "Never heard of that name before."

Sesshoumaru was not convinced, though. His eyes narrowed, betraying his disbelief before he opened his mouth for what was sure to be a new threat. But, the shrill ring of Naraku's phone stopped the dog demon, and he snatched the device out of the criminal mastermind's pocket.

Naraku had had enough of this humiliation in front of his peers. He was silently stretching a pointy tendril out of his hand to be plunged into the insolent puppy's useless brain when said puppy looked at him with a smirk after glancing at the caller ID. "Answer," he demanded with a tug at his whip and effectively put an end to Naraku's plans as the hanyou had to retract his tendril to hold the phone.

"What?" he snapped at the caller.

"B-boss?" stammered Jakotsu's high-pitched voice from the other end of the line. "I-it wasn't our fault, I swear! We were caught off-guard! And… and, your son was there, too!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" hissed Naraku after listening to the incomprehensible blabbering of his henchman.

"The girls, boss!" cried out Jakotsu. "They escaped! The hanyou one was a real pain in the ass, and the other one turned out to be sneaky! They knocked us out! We can't find them anywhere! I swear your son was here! But, he's gone, too!"

Having heard enough, Naraku snapped the phone shut.

A knowing smirk formed on Sesshoumaru's face, indicating that he heard every single word the idiot Jakotsu screamed to his boss' ear. "Didn't know about the girls, huh? I must admit, Naraku…" He snorted before he added, "…that was rather funny."

"I will kill you for that comment alone," hissed the fuming mob boss.

"You know," started the dog demon as he took a few steps back, forcing Naraku to follow him to the door by the hold of his whip. "You cannot expect to be intimidating when your men can't even deal with two defenseless teenage girls." Once they reached the door, he growled to the hanyou's ear, "Stay away from the women I protect."

The moment his neck was released, Naraku whirled around to spear the infuriating puppy with countless tendrils. However, Sesshoumaru was nowhere to be found. "Damn those dogs," he grumbled furiously. "I will kill this one along with his bastard brother."

A snicker brought his attention back to the occupants of the room. His face was red with anger as his glare landed on the dragon demon. Ryokotsusei sat at the table; his cards were back in his hands and an amused smirk played upon his thin lips. "I'd reconsider that decision if I were you, my friend," the annoying lizard mocked as his smirk grew into a wide grin. "It would be better if you found a way to hire those brothers, instead. After all, they can take down your men single-handedly."

Something cracked under Naraku's fist when the dragon added jovially, "Even their sister managed to escape!"

**

* * *

Authors' Notes:**

#1: Thanks to ScarsoftheMoon, ShouraiChan, Thayet and Witchblade86 for getting back to us about the story that Ai was trying to find. It had an alternative universe Inuyasha who was human most of the time and hanyou during the new moon. The story is 'The Other Side of the Coin' by Leoli and can be found at: http :/ home . comcast . net /~ wilburns1 / leloi / stories / coin . html (Ai recommends that you read the second ending).

#2: Yakuza is the term for the Japanese mafia.

#3: Some readers were a little worried about our real life commitments. Karaumea just got on a plane and landed on another continent. She will be back in the US by August. In the mean time, she'll be working on finishing HMG along with another story of hers. Ai is just plain busy at work until the end of June. Then, she has almost no work July & August. So expect more from Ai after June. :-) We hope to get this story completed by September. Yes, your authors will complete this story. We're currently looking at this story running about 20-22 chapters in length. However, real life interferes sometimes.

**Next chapter: **_Does Inuyasha finally tell Kagome the truth? And what is this? Seventh Heaven has a new dancer? Until next time...!_


	16. Laid Bare

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~* ~ * ~*  
Warnings: Foul language and some nudity._

_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas …_

_Co-authored by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi  
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**Chapter 16: Laid Bare**

The two days following their escape had been extremely trying for Inuyasha. It wasn't as if Kagome had been rude to him or had forgotten him. No, it had been the exact opposite. After Kagome had told both Hojo and Inuyasha that she was a lesbian, her advances toward her hanyou girlfriend had increased. Perhaps, now that she had made peace with the fact that she would never have a boyfriend, she suddenly seemed to be embracing her inner-dyke.

Inuyasha's heart rate accelerated just thinking about what Kagome had been doing to him. There wasn't a spare moment when his girlfriend wasn't trying to kiss him, grope him or get him into bed. It was not as if he didn't want to get intimate with her. In fact, Little Tessaiga was screaming in agony and begging to sheath itself into her warm body.

But, he couldn't; he wouldn't…

His girlfriend—the girl who was supposed to be his mate, the very woman he had been pining over for the past few years—had declared in no uncertain terms that she only liked girls.

And, he was a hot-blooded male. He just looked like a girl—a girl Kagome had said she was in love with.

_Oh, fuck my life…_

For the last two nights, Inuyasha had spent countless hours keeping Kagome's soft, wandering hands away from his chest and groin. It was a painful torture since he wanted her hands to be stroking the very parts he pushed her away from. However, he did permit her digits to explore other parts of his body. It seemed that her favorite place to touch was his ears. Since 'Little Tessaiga' wasn't getting any attention, it now seemed to be jumping for joy every time she stroked his dog-like ears.

Every caress on his fuzzy, white appendages would conjure up images of those same hands stroking his most intimate parts behind his closed eyelids. No matter how hard the hanyou tried, he couldn't stop dreaming of her smooth, warm hands stroking 'Little Tessaiga' up and down or her talented pink tongue licking his shaft the way she was licking and kissing the edges of his ears.

It was pure unadulterated torment. Just having her body next to his made the fine hairs that covered his skin stand on end. It made his abdomen quiver in excitement and made the pulsing blood in his veins coalesce into a growing hardness that never seemed to get any satisfaction.

Her kisses were all encompassing, addicting and nerve wracking. Her touches were sweet, abysmal torture. He felt like he was on the edge of a precipice and that one shove would bring him down into a gaping abyss or delectable bliss. He was never too sure as to what side he would fall into or when the inevitable slide would happen.

But, Inuyasha was willing to suffer through it. He was willing to always be her girl. Unfortunately, she would find out the truth sooner or later. He had already almost lost control more than once while Kagome pressed her sweet, giving form against his. She tempted him. Her scent, her body and her actions, they all called to him and made his body respond.

_Dammit. _

Little Tessaiga saw fit to leap to attention again as the hanyou detected his miko's sweet scent approaching. He surreptitiously adjusted himself through his hakama pants.

Shaya was wearing the robes of a miko. Her long flowing silver hair was beautifully accented by a billowy, white top and red, flowing hakama pants. Unfortunately, her white top was mired in dust and gray smudges from all of the moving she had been doing at the Sunset shrine.

However, even his current attire did not keep Inuyasha from being accosted again. Kagome wouldn't give him a moment of peace. The hanyou had been trying to help out Grandpa Higurashi, but his girlfriend was ignoring that fact.

Shaya's eyes widened like a prey that was being caught by a predator. His girlfriend stood on her tiptoes and smiled coyly at him through lacey eyelashes. "Kiss me," Kagome intoned. She looked beautifully innocent in her matching miko robes and ebony hair tied back with a white silken cord. But, it was her scent and that magnetic attraction that always left him wanting more that made every logical thought leave his mind.

_Fuck me. As if I could say no…_

He dropped the crates that he had been moving haphazardly and pulled his girlfriend behind him. There was no way that he would chance her family witnessing their lesbian tryst.

Once they were safely ensconced behind the well house, he pulled her against himself. Then, Kagome's breathless lips found his.

"Mummmpphhh…" was all that was heard from Shaya before the shorter girl moved her mouth against the taller hanyou's. Kagome's hands found their way around the girl's neck, and one lone hand started to caress a fuzzy ear. Inuyasha tried to hold back; he was a little unused to her girlfriend coming onto him, especially at her own home.

But, there was something about Kagome—something that made him forget that he was supposed to not let things go too far. Every time she touched him, he just lost sense of time and place. The spark that she set off with one simple brush of her hand against his skin was enough to drive a heated desire through his veins.

His mouth probed into hers with abandon. His hands that he was trying so hard to control moved against her back, pressing her giving form against his. They were yin and yang, hard and soft, male and female, demon and miko… It was unfortunate that Kagome didn't know how really different the two of them were, not that he was even conscious of their differences at the moment. All he knew was that he craved her and was often left bereft and wanting more.

"Shaya!" bellowed the old man.

The voice was close—too close. Shaya's golden eyes widened in shock, and she pulled away from her miko.

Kagome smiled softly at her girlfriend while Inuyasha adjusted his miko robes and tried to brush out his hair quickly.

_Fuck, I look like a girl who has just been ravished…_

Once Grandpa Higurashi had found out how strong a 'female' hanyou was, the man never seemed to tire of giving the girl endless chores that would be too difficult for a normal man.

"Ah, there you are, Shaya. I was wondering where you were with those crates. Can you please stop chatting with Kagome and get to work?" the older man harrumphed as he led the hanyou away from his girlfriend.

_As if we were chatting…dammit!_

The hanyou's mind was in a daze as he picked up the four large crates he had recently put down and then followed Grandpa Higurashi blindly.

While Shaya tried to balance the crates, she never even noticed the small boy staring at her from the branches of the Goshinboku tree. Souta's eyes were as wide as saucers and held the look of absolute betrayal.

The boy couldn't help that he found Shaya attractive. The hanyou was the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen and to top all of that, she played video games with him! She even stopped work at the shrine sometimes to show him how to properly kick a soccer ball. She was instantly his new best friend and someone that he thought about even when she wasn't at the shrine.

Souta had thought that he had found the girl of his dreams, one that played games with him. And maybe if he was lucky, maybe he could even get a kiss out of her. He thought nothing of their ten-year age difference. He had been smitten the very moment he had seen the girl. That was why he found himself watching Shaya while she worked at the shrine. He couldn't really follow her around all day long like a lost puppy, so spying from the shrine's ancient tree seemed to be the best bet.

But now his sister was kissing another girl? And why did it have to be Shaya? It was so gross!

The boy felt betrayed, and there was only one person to talk to about all of this. He quickly scrambled down the tree. His mom would certainly put a stop to his sister putting her stinky lips on Shaya.

* * *

Shaya huffed as she managed to balance the large wooden crates in her hands.

"Over here," ordered Grandpa Higurashi as he pointed to an alcove in the far corner of the storage shed.

She bent to put the heavy load on a shelf. She let out a satisfied smile and turned around. The smile quickly faltered when she saw Grandpa Higurashi purse his lips in displeasure.

"No, I think over there would be better," added Grandpa as he waved to yet another area in the shed.

Shaya's white ears twitched on the top of her head in extreme agitation. _This is the hundredth fucking time he has wanted me to move these boxes!_ She picked up the burdensome load and managed to heft the boxes into yet another corner.

Grandpa tapped his finger against his cheek. "Or maybe over there…?"

Shaya's claws gripped the wood with a little too much pressure, and it squeaked. Wood was not supposed to squeak.

"Oh, Father!" exclaimed Mrs. Higurashi as she entered the storage shed. "Why are you moving those?" She turned to notice the fuming hanyou who was about to pulverize the crates with her bare hands. "Oh, Shaya! Thank you so much for all of your hard work. I think right there will be just fine…" Kunloon turned to look at Grandpa Higurashi with a look that would brook no argument. "Don't you think so, father?"

The older man coughed and offered a single nod in acquiescence.

Kunloon moved forward and drew Shaya away from the storage shed. "I think you have worked enough today. Thank you so much for all of your hard work." Mrs. Higurashi looked pensively at the teenaged girl.

Shaya smiled sheepishly and scratched her head. "Yes, I guess it has been a long day."

Kunloon gave her a waifish smile before grasping the girl in her arms. "I was so worried about you, dear. You and Kagome were gone, and we feared the worst!"

Shaya almost let out a yelp of surprise when the middle-aged woman hugged her. She noticed the telltale scent of that other man on her—the man with that strange cologne, the man who had given him some tickets on the subway and seemed to know that he was following Kagome. The taller girl tried to pat the older woman on the back as she moved away from the unexpected embrace. "Oh, um…we were fine. It was just a misunderstanding. We just got lost from the rest of the class and took a train home."

Kunloon quirked a brow. Her wise brown eyes appeared to bore into Shaya's golden ones before she looked down and sighed. "Yes, of course." Then, her eyes lit up like the Ginza district at night. "Well, I am going to a tea ceremony with some friends. I will be back later this evening. Have a good day, Shaya. Take care of yourself and…" The older woman paused and seemed to be entreating Shaya with her final words, "…and Kagome."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and turned to walk away, humming a song as she started down the steep shrine steps.

Inuyasha wanted to change and get out of his dusty, dirt-ridden clothes. But, smelling that scent on Kagome's mother again made his dog-like instincts roar with the need to chase. He needed to know what the connection was between the Higurashis and the mysterious man who seemed to know far too much. _Is he a Naraku spy? Why was he around both Kagome and me?_

The hanyou didn't think. He quickly took to the rooftops. He briefly thought about the bodyguard contingent that was now following both himself and Kagome wherever they went. _Now try to keep up with me you fuckers!_

He chuckled at his black-suited bodyguards. One of them had been smoking and was too caught up in the group of schoolgirls wandering about the shrine's grounds to notice the hanyou escaping. Inuyasha was sure that the guy would be reprimanded and then fired by Sesshoumaru tomorrow. The other one simply wasn't quick enough.

Ever since the ill-fated day when both he and Kagome had been kidnapped, Sesshoumaru had made sure that the two 'girls' were protected. Even his mom had shown up in tears, asking Inuyasha to not ever leave without the bodyguards. Well, he really didn't think the bodyguards would be of much help if Naraku ever tried to get at him again. The only thing he still had going for him was that apparently Naraku did not think he had kidnapped Inuyasha. Naraku kidnapped Shaya with the full intent of using her as the blackmail to get to her brother. Inuyasha snorted in annoyance. _As if Shaya and Inuyasha could even be in the same room together…_

He patted his back and the thin, nylon, carrying case that he now had strapped to his side. He wasn't going to be caught with his pants down again. The Tessaiga would be with him from now on, even when he slept. Though he really didn't know how he would manage to get the Tessaiga and Kagome into bed at the same time. Without truly trying, he was quickly caught up in a fantasy of getting Kagome naked and in bed, his masculine form hovering above hers and his Tessaiga still in his hands…? _No, won't work._ This time he replayed the scene with his handy Tessaiga on the bedside table within arms reach. _OK, that'll work!_ The only time he wouldn't have Tessaiga with him would be if Kagome was nude and distracted him. Otherwise, he was a man on a mission 24x7!

Unfortunately, he had quite an overactive imagination and once he started to think of Kagome with no clothes on, his mind was fully occupied with salacious thoughts. Kagome in the shower, wet droplets cascading down her body… Kagome taking off her clothes… Kagome lying underneath him while he suckled on her breasts… _Shit! I need to focus! Focus, dammit!_

The hanyou steeled himself and followed Kunloon down a few street blocks until she made it into a subway station. Luckily, it was an early Saturday evening and not rush hour. The concrete tunnels of the subway were sparsely populated and there were not enough humans there to throw off Kunloon's scent.

Shaya tried to keep to the back. His red and white miko garb was rather bright and noticeable. Luckily for him, at least it was much more modest than his schoolgirl's uniform. At least, he didn't have to worry about guys checking out his legs in this getup.

As he followed Kagome's mother, he couldn't help but to notice that the woman was walking around like she was in a dream. She was humming a tune and almost skipping with happiness.

_What in the hell type of song is she singing anyway?_ Inuyasha tried to grasp the song. It was at the edge of his mind; there was something familiar about it. Then, he heard her start to sing the melancholy lyrics.

_It's only half past the point of no return  
The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn  
The thunder before lightning, the breath before the phrase  
Have you ever felt this way?  
_

His ears twitched again in annoyance. Hearing a grown middle-aged woman singing a love song had to be right up there with hearing Hojo profess his love to Kagome. It just hurt to hear the words.

He tried to get the silly lyrics out of his mind. The last thing he wanted to even think about was his future mother-in-law being in love. _Future mother-in-law?_

He felt his chest tighten, and his eyes widened. _Kagome…_ He wanted to be with Kagome. He wanted to mate with her. He'd even marry her if he could. But, she didn't want a guy; she only wanted a girl. There was pain in him that he couldn't identify. Inuyasha wanted it so badly to be the only one Kagome ever wanted but he felt like he would always come up short. He wasn't what she really wanted. He felt like a deceitful imposter.

Before he knew it, he was singing along quietly with Kunloon.

_It's only half past the point of oblivion  
The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run  
The breath before the kiss and the fear before the flames  
Have you ever felt this way?_

_Shit! I can't believe that I am singing this crap! _A boy passed him on by and gave the singing girl a curious look. _What the fuck is he staring at?_

Inuyasha stopped singing, but continued to hum the love song. Mrs. Higurashi had eventually exited at the Shinjuku subway station. He was surprised to see the older woman walking a little more cautiously now that she was within a well-known, red-light district. The area was an infamous Yakuza haven.

_What the fuck is she doing here? It's not safe for Kagome's mom to be here!_ The hanyou was positively fuming as he followed the older woman. He noted every seedy person who looked their way and made sure that he scowled at anyone close by.

Soon, Kunloon was walking up some rickety stairs to a tall apartment building. Streams of washed clothing hung on clotheslines, fluttering in the late afternoon breeze. The building itself had seen better days; its well-worn exterior was starting to show the plaster under the surface.

Golden eyes narrowed as Inuyasha leapt up the stairs to gain a foothold not too far away from where Kagome's mother had entered. He walked slowly and stealthily until he was in front of the apartment door Kunloon had entered.

His ears could pick up on everything.

"Ohhh, Takeshi! I missed you!" crooned Mrs. Higurashi before the telltale signs of lips smacking against each other reached the hanyou's ears.

_Eeewwwww…!_ If there was anything as bad as knowing that your parents were making out, it was knowing that your girlfriend's mother was doing a lip-lock with a strange man, a man who was not her husband! _Not happening on my watch!_

Fuming in anger, Inuyasha stormed into the apartment with his golden eyes on fire and his miko robes swishing around his curvaceous frame.

"What the hell are you doing with Kagome's mother?" yelled Shaya. She lunged forward to pull the surprised woman away from the man in a trench coat before she turned to lecture Kunloon. "And what do you think you're doing! A respectable woman like you!"

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes widened and then drew together in amusement. She started to chuckle.

It was not the reaction that Inuyasha was expecting. He thought that he would see shame or contrition but certainly not laughter. "What's so damn…umm…funny?"

Mrs. Higurashi's amused smile quickly faded as Takeshi put himself between Kunloon and Shaya.

The older man was a little shorter than the hanyou, but he was still glaring at the girl in a way that suggested the older man was the taller of the two. "What are we doing?" The man's eyes narrowed. "This is my wife!" He stopped and pulled at Shaya's clawed hand and pressed it against the pearlescent bracelet she wore on her free wrist. "Now what are you doing?"

Takeshi pushed against Shaya's hand and with one yank, and the bracelet came off, revealing a tall hanyou boy who looked rather sheepish in a girl's miko robes.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in agitation and his eyes widened in horror. He was even further amazed to see that neither Kunloon nor Takeshi seemed surprised that he had just changed into a guy before their eyes. Too flabbergasted to make a sound, the hanyou gaped his mouth open wide as if imitating a fish.

The older man frowned at the younger one with the bracelet still in his hands before he pulled back his trench coat to reveal a holster with a small sidearm. Then, he walked forward until his face was mere centimeters away from Inuyasha's.

"Now, I think you'll tell me exactly what your intentions are toward my DAUGHTER!"

Inuyasha looked down blankly at Takeshi. It took a few moments for the words that were bubbling up his throat to fully form. "Your daughter? But Kagome isn't your daughter…"

The hanyou looked agape at Kunloon who had a silly half-smile on her lips and then to Takeshi who was looking at him with clenched teeth.

"Kagome is my daughter!" bellowed the man right under Inuyasha's furrowed brows. "And what is she to you?"

"But," stammered Inuyasha in confusion. "Her father died. She told me herself…you…"

There was something very familiar about the man. His bearing, the way he stood, his rich coffee colored eyes that brimmed with emotion, and his raven black hair. He almost looked like Kagome's deceased father, but the haircut was wrong and his mustache and beard were missing. The most glaring difference was the man's demeanor. Kagome's father had been carefree, jovial, but this man was hardened and care-worn. The boy sniffed the air and tried to isolate the man's scent away from the confusing cologne that he wore. Scents never lied, even if appearances could change.

"Higurashi-san?" murmured Inuyasha in disbelief.

Mr. Higurashi almost smiled despite his initial anger and stepped back. "I asked you a question, son. Now, you better answer."

"I…I…" Inuyasha couldn't help it; he started to stammer again. He looked at Kagome's father in bewilderment before he swallowed and continued. Inuyasha was never a liar; what he felt in his heart came pouring out of his mouth.

"I love Kagome more than anything. I need her and I'm scared because I need her so much. She's everything to me. I'll protect her with my life. Hell, I'd even die for her." Honeyed orbs widened in supplication as Inuyasha continued to speak. "Kami, I'd marry her now if she'd have me. But, I don't think that she'd ever want me."

Kunloon stepped forward to put her arm carefully around her husband's shoulder. It was very subtle, but the older man's stance lost its stiffness when her hands touched him and his face softened from the harsh glare that had been directed at Inuyasha. As she smiled at her husband, the corners of his mouth turned up into a crooked smile.

Kagome's mother was the first to speak. "I'm sorry about my husband's rudeness, Inuyasha. It's just that we're both very protective of Kagome. Especially since we know that both of you were actually kidnapped by Yakuza. And to add to it…well, Takeshi has been very upset that his little girl is actually sharing a room with a guy." Kunloon paused and smiled at the hanyou in miko robes. "But, I did tell him that Izayoi has already given you the lecture on keeping everything in your pants until marriage. And…" She looked up at Takeshi and gently squeezed his arm. "Your intentions appear to be noble."

The older man sighed as he ran his hand through his ebony hair. Then, he stepped back and took his gun out of its brown leather holster that was strapped to his side. He moved to a wobbly, linoleum table in the middle of the small kitchen and motioned for Inuyasha to join him.

With trepidation, the teenage hanyou followed and sat down at a respectable distance.

Once they were both seated, the older man carefully and methodically took his sidearm apart. Using the gun cleaning kit that was still on the table, the man worked quickly and precisely. Inuyasha gulped as the man closed his eyes while the process continued. Gun parts fairly flew in and out of Takeshi's hands as the small weapon was disassembled and then reassembled in record time.

When Mr. Higurashi was finally done, he fingered the smooth, oiled exterior of the black gun. "I want to make sure that we are clear about one thing, Inuyasha."

The hanyou only nodded nervously as he eyed the sidearm the older man was holding expertly.

"If you ever have any dishonorable intentions and if Kagome weds and she is not a virgin bride, I swear that your gender change will become a permanent situation."

Kunloon quickly moved in to soothe over the situation. "Dear, I know that you're upset about Rin and Sesshoumaru, but that is no reason to take it out on poor Inuyasha."

The man bit his lip and stood up. "Don't even get me started about them!" yelled Takeshi before he turned to the hanyou. "She stays pure! Got it?"

Inuyasha swallowed hard and tried his best to nod. In the back of his mind, he wondered how long he could keep Kagome away from him. It wasn't as if he was the one trying to get her into bed now. It was her trying to get _him_ into bed! The girl was trying to seduce him on a daily basis. The only reason he had never consummated his relationship with Kagome was because she only wanted a girl. She'd never want him, not like he was.

Saddened golden eyes looked up at the former policeman. "She'd never want me anyway, Mr. Higurashi. I don't think you have to worry about that."

Kagome's mother sat down next to Inuyasha and put her arms around his shoulders now. "What do you mean, Inuyasha? Don't you know how much she cares about you? She's had a crush on you for years. She'd even follow me to my tea sessions with your mother just so that she could get a glimpse of you. She never even dated another boy, even though Hojo was incredibly persistent."

"Don't even mention that Yakuza spawn in my presence, Kunloon," muttered Takeshi mutinously.

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her husband. All it took was one quirked eyebrow, and the man suddenly fell silent. The man then looked away while he said, 'sorry' under his breath.

Kagome's mom sighed as well and then quirked a smile at the flabbergasted hanyou sitting next to her. "Things aren't as bad as they seem, Inuyasha. Know that my daughter loves you and has always loved you." She took a wisp of silver hair that was obscuring his face and brushed it away. "You two are fated for each other. A red string of fate has connected the two of you since the moment you were born. I don't think we could keep the two of you away from each other if we tried. Now please watch after Kagome. Sesshoumaru's guards and Takeshi are keeping an eye on her as well. But until Takeshi is able to finish his undercover assignment, we all must be cautious."

Inuyasha shook his head in confusion. "Undercover assignment? Does Kagome even know that her father is alive?"

The older woman looked melancholy for a second before patting her husband's hand. "No, she doesn't. Even I was in the dark for some time. We all thought he had died. The police told us that he had died in a boating accident. But I had known he was infiltrating Naraku and his yakuza. Both Rin and I assumed that he had died in a drug deal that had gone bad."

The older man put both hands on his wife's for support. "It wasn't supposed to happen that way, honey. I did fall off the boat, and it did blow up. And yes, Naraku had found out that I was a spy for the police and wanted revenge. But, I survived. It took me over a month to get back to civilization, and by that time, my funeral had already taken place. Damn, woman. You don't know how sorry I am for you having to go through that."

Tears brimmed Mrs. Higurashi's eyes. She sniffled, but it was Takeshi's thumb that wiped the errant tears away. Then very gently, her husband's lips met hers. It was a chaste kiss of tears and sorrow, but when he pulled away, her eyes brightened again with the carefree nature that was Kagome's mother. She squeezed his hand again in return. "I know that now, dear."

Softened coffee orbs gazed at Kunloon in pure longing and unadulterated love. Takeshi put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head before continuing.

"By the time I got back, Rin had disappeared. Then, my department told me to stay away from my own family. I was supposed to stay undercover. Otherwise, Naraku would know I was alive and my own family would suffer from his revenge. But when my wife finally broke down, I couldn't hide anymore. I saw my wife without the knowledge of the rest of my family and my department. But, this will end once Naraku is taken down."

Kunloon pursed her lips. "What are we going to do about Rin? I'm glad that you finally found her, but to know that she's working as a stripper…"

Suddenly, Inuyasha thought back to the day that Rin had confessed to her sister and when he had followed Rin back to the Seventh Heaven. There was a lot more going on, and apparently, even Rin's family didn't know the entire truth. "But, she's not really a stripper. She's actually there trying to find evidence against the people who supposedly killed her dad. She's trying to take them down."

"What?" yelled Takeshi in astonishment. "You can't tell me that my shy Rin has taken to stripping just so that she can find evidence against Naraku?"

Inuyasha only nodded solemnly.

"Shit!" exclaimed the policeman as he gathered his gun and put it back in his holster. "I have to stop this, Kunloon. Our baby is up against one of the most feared criminals in Japan!"

Inuyasha had never seen Kagome's mother flustered before. He heard the telltale sign of her heart starting to race and fear crossing her face. "What are you going to do, dear?" she asked with unbridled concern.

The man adjusted his trench coat and stood up to walk outside. He turned to look at his wife. "I'm going down to the station to let them know what is happening with Rin. We'll need to put the Seventh Heaven under more surveillance, and I think that Sesshoumaru needs to know that I'm around again." The man then spun and pointed a finger directly at the hanyou. "And, you! You better protect my daughter. No more of this stupid shit that you've been pulling these past two years. Clean up your act and make sure that Kagome is safe. You're both in a shitload of trouble if Naraku finds either of you again."

The hanyou nodded tersely as the front door slammed violently.

Kagome's mother walked up to him and smiled warmly. "Let's get back home, dear. Can you walk me back to the shrine?"

Inuyasha gathered the bracelet that had been left on the table. When he put it back on his wrist his masculine form quickly morphed into a voluptuous female's.

Kunloon whistled. "My, oh my. I don't think that I'll ever get used to that. It's a good thing that my daughter knows who you really are. I know that if my husband found out that you kept this from her, he'd never let you near our daughter again."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as the older woman chuckled and continued. "But, we know that our little girl would never go around kissing another girl."

_Oh fuck…she knows…_

* * *

Kouga was sulking as he slid open the door to the common living area of the dorm room. His cerulean eyes were dull with hopelessness, and a pout graced his full lips, turning them into the epitome of subtle feminine seduction without the wolf's knowledge. He had spent the past hour trying to pour his heart out to Sango in the library. For some reason that he couldn't place, he felt the need to vent to someone after seeing Ayame with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, Sango had not agreed to leave with him when the librarian had kindly thrown him out of there for disturbing the silence with his chattering.

Kouga scoffed in anger. _Stupid Sango._ He couldn't fathom how a history project could be more important than his nonexistent love life. Where was that stupid hanyou when he needed him anyway? Inuyasha disappeared the moment the classes were over that day. Some friend he was. It wasn't as if the mutt was a good listener. Kouga just needed to talk to someone—badly.

"Stupid Inuyasha," he muttered moodily right as he opened the door to the bedroom he shared with Ayame and literally jumped at the sound of a frightened gasp.

"Shit!" he exclaimed before he noticed Kagome standing in front of Ayame's wardrobe with a piece of folded leather in her hands. "Kagome?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The miko's wide-eyed, deer-caught-in-headlights expression immediately turned to one of guilt. "H-hi, Kori!" she blurted out. "Just borrowing something from Aya." When Kori glanced at the cloth in her hands, the miko hid it behind her back and gave the wolf a nervous smile.

Kouga's eyes narrowed in suspicion before he dismissed it with a smile. If he couldn't have a man-to-man conversation, why not have a girl-to-girl one? He needed to get it out of his chest in one way or the other. Besides, Kagome was a good listener, definitely better than Inuyasha was. "Actually," he started as he beamed at the girl. "I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to someone badly."

* * *

High heels clicked on the smooth pavement as Kagome walked out of the subway station. She squirmed in discomfort in the black leather pants she wore but tried to pass it off as if she was brushing the dust from her calf with her foot. Her pants were too tight where they shouldn't be; her feet ached from the high stilettos she wore for the first time in her life; her hair was too heavy with the generous amount of spray she used to curl it; her face felt like she was wearing a mask with the heavy makeup; and the thin, red halter top she wore did nothing to protect her from the chill of the night air.

When they had been kidnapped two days ago, Inuyasha had let it slip that the day he had followed Rin, she had gone to the Seventh Heaven — the club where the hanyou had met the people that had kidnapped them. So, that was where Kagome was headed to; she had to see for herself what her sister was doing in a gentlemen's club and make sure that she was safe.

Tonight was the best time to execute her plans since the hanyou had disappeared when they had been about to leave her family's shrine. Since he hadn't even mentioned the club's name before—no doubt because he feared that she would want to see the place—Kagome was sure he wouldn't let her go there if he was aware.

Despite her determination, the possibility of running into her kidnappers frightened the miko. She had to take precautions to avoid being recognized in case those bad guys were there as well. That was how she ended up looking like a badass motorcycle chick…

…and, the blabbering wolf demon next to her.

Kagome sighed tiredly when Kori—or Kouga, as the miko now knew him to be—whined pathetically. "I don't understand what he finds in her! I mean, she's not that beautiful… and, she's not even rich!"

When the wolf had started complaining about the boy he had been into and the boy's girlfriend, Kagome had been confused at first. Why would the very male wolf demon have a crush on a boy? _Is Kouga gay?_ It had taken her fifteen minutes to realize that he was actually trying to take her advice concerning a girl he liked. But of course, since he was a pretend-girl, his crush had to be a pretend-boy.

"Money is not everything, Kori," mumbled the miko tiredly. She tried to listen to his every word. She really did. But, hearing the same comments over and over for over an hour was quite tiresome.

Since the demon had walked in on her rummaging through Ayame's wardrobe, he had not left her tail, and neither had he stopped talking. He had even attempted to enter her room when she had been changing. Of course, now that she knew who Kori really was, there was no way Kagome would let him sneak a peek of her.

Despite the door that had been shut to his face, Kouga had not been discouraged and continued his rant from the other side. Seeing that she wasn't going to get rid of him anytime soon, the miko had to tell him where she was going. Kouga had offered to go with her, claiming that he could use a drink as well. Even though she would have preferred almost any other companion, Kagome had happily accepted. After all, it wouldn't hurt to have a strong wolf demon beside her while she pranced around in the middle of the night looking like a tramp.

She flashed Kouga a small smile that she hoped was encouraging as he prattled on about the fine qualities of the 'boy' that had left him wanting. She was glad for his presence mainly because of the creepy 'men-in-black' that hadn't left the girls' tail since they stepped out of the school grounds. But still, the miko was close to regretting her decision to let the walking chatterbox tag along. She hadn't known that men could talk so much.

Her Inuyasha was nothing like that.

With a dreamy sigh, Kagome let her mind wander to the tongue-tied image of her boyfriend. When she touched him or kissed him, which she did in abandon since she had realized the enormity of her feelings for the hanyou, all he could do was grunt or moan. At least, she knew how to shut _that_ boy up.

Finally, after a long walk down the crowded street, the flashing lights of Seventh Heaven caught her attention. Kagome held on to Kouga's arm as they walked up to the bouncer and smiled in greeting. The burly guy took one look at the two girls, and with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, he let them pass without paying.

The club was packed with mostly male patrons that were already well on their way to drunkenness and dancers and waitresses in various states of undress. Kouga moved with determination, splitting the crowd into two like the Red Sea as he passed with the strength hidden under his charm and headed directly to the bar. Feeling several hungry gazes on her, the miko shuddered and clung to the wolf demon's arm with all that she had.

Once they reached the bar, they were immediately offered two seats by two middle-aged patrons. The girls accepted the offer gratefully. When the guys hovered behind them with disturbing grins on their faces, Kagome thought that perhaps they meant for the girls to sit on their laps instead. Luckily, Kouga's fierce glare sent them away before his warning growl turned into a war cry.

As if nothing happened, Kouga turned to the bartender and flashed him a flirtatious smile, earning two free drinks for his efforts. The miko gaped at the demon partly in amusement and partly in horror. It was more than a little disturbing to watch a straight guy flirt with another straight guy. And, the way Kouga seemed to be comfortable with it and pleased with his accomplishment… She certainly hoped her hanyou never tried to use his feminine charms like that.

It would be the end of Kagome's world if this charade of being a girl left a permanent mark on Inuyasha.

"I like your new image," stated the wolf after he downed his drink in one big gulp and put the glass down with a thud. "I bet Shaya would've loved to see you like this. Why didn't you wait for her?"

"For what?" asked the miko flatly, as if the answer should have been obvious. "So that she could tie me up to keep me in the dorms?"

"She sure would," the wolf said with a chuckle before he muttered, "Lucky bastard." As Kagome laughed along with him, Kouga signaled to the bartender. After another disarming smile, this time followed by a wink, he received one more free drink from the drooling man. Turning in his seat with his full glass in one hand, the demon leaned against the bar and got comfortable to watch the show.

Kagome mimicked his stance, glad that she could now scan the club from her point of view. Unfortunately, Rin was nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes, she noticed Kouga eyeing the dancer on the main stage. His gaze lingered on the woman's bare breasts before he shook his head dismissively. Amused by his antics, Kagome goaded him, "Sexy, huh?"

When Kouga looked at her questioningly, she nodded in the direction of the blond dancer. The wolf demon shrugged nonchalantly. "She's all right, I guess. The hair color's a bit off, I think. Red would have been better," he said with a decisive nod. "And the boobs…" He raised his free hand and pretended to measure the size of the dancer's breasts from afar as Kagome unconsciously folded her arms over her bosom protectively. "Nah… too big. They shouldn't be bigger than your hand can cover, like…"

"Like Ayame's?" blurted out the miko, tipped off by the pseudo-girl's comment about the hair color.

Kouga's hand froze in mid-squeeze. "Wh-what?" he stammered.

His reaction only proved to Kagome that her guess had been right. She grinned mischievously. "It's Ayame, isn't it? The one you've been pining after."

"How the hell did you know?" asked the wolf demon. His feminine voice turned high-pitched at the end with his panic.

"Oh, please," said the miko as she rolled her eyes. "You're not as secretive as you think you are, Kouga."

The boy was downing his drink when he heard the name she used. He started coughing as the liquid he'd been drinking went the wrong way. "Fuck!" he cried out once he was able to breathe again. "What did you call me?"

"You heard me," said Kagome lightly and went back to scanning the crowd.

"How did you find out?" asked the wolf after a while.

"I can see through your charm," said the miko in a sing-song voice, grinning as she glanced at her companion's dumbstruck face.

Kouga gulped nervously. "You can see through my charm," he repeated slowly as if trying to digest the information. "And…"

When his voice trailed off, uncertain if he wanted to reveal more than the girl already knew, Kagome completed his thought. "And, Inuyasha's."

"Shit!" exclaimed the demon with his eyes comically wide. "You really know. You knew all this time and…" He pointed at the miko with his forefinger as he started, "You and the mutt…" But, he stopped as a new thought occurred to him. His brows furrowed, and he folded his arms across his ample chest. "Wait. Does he know that you know?" he asked defensively.

Kagome's only answer was to shake her head in the negative.

"But, you've been fooling around with him," he stated, receiving a nod from the girl as his confirmation. Craning his neck curiously, he asked once again to make sure, "But he doesn't know?"

Kagome shook her head again, trying to suppress the giggle that welled up in her chest at his stupefied expression.

"So, you've been messing with him all this time?" asked Kouga incredulously before he settled back against the bar and whistled in admiration. "Damn. You're sneaky… and cruel."

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly, taking his remark as a manifestation of his surprise instead of an insult. "I can't help it. He's too cute when he's flustered."

"Cruel indeed," mumbled Kouga as he shook his head disapprovingly. "You have no idea what you're doing to that boy, do you? What you've been doing to him for years?"

This time, Kagome was the confused one. She was also a little offended by the accusative tone of his voice. She set up straight and faced him before she demanded, "What are you talking about?"

Mimicking her stance and putting his glass on the bar, Kouga explained heatedly, "That boy has been crazy about you ever since I've known him, and here you are, playing with his feelings…"

"Hey!" exclaimed the miko, cutting the wolf's tirade. "Stop right there!"

"What?" asked Kouga in mock surprise. "Are you not playing with him?"

"No!" she cried out immediately. But, the moment she thought about it, she realized that what she was doing with the hanyou could be called playing. "I mean, maybe… in a sense…" she added guiltily.

Anger flashed in the wolf's eyes, confirming to the miko that he took her words in the wrong way. "No, it's not like that!" she added hurriedly. "I… I love him."

"Huh," said the wolf as he eyed her suspiciously. "Are you always dishonest with the ones you love?"

Kagome sat up straight, more than a little offended by his comment. "Now, wait a minute," she gritted out before she started poking his hard chest with her finger. She ignored the bartender's excited gasp at seeing the girl fingering her female companion's boobs. "How can you call me dishonest when he's the one that's keeping his real identity from me?" she asked the wolf in disbelief.

Kouga glanced at her finger before dismissing it and narrowing his eyes at her. "He can't tell you the truth. First of all, it will put his life and yours in danger. Second, that boy wants you badly. How do you expect him to tell you the truth when he doesn't know how you will respond? What do you think would happen if I went to Ayame and blurted out that I lied and that she's been sleeping in the same room with a guy she never met before?"

"It's not the same," grumbled Kagome stubbornly, though his explanation made sense to some extent. "We're in a relationship."

Kouga flinched at her words, and Kagome felt bad for pointing out that he was not together with the object of his affections. "Kouga, I'm sorry…" she started only to be silenced by the wolf.

"True, it's not the same," he said looking down at his lap before he turned his cerulean eyes on her; the anger in them made the miko shiver. "It's worse," he continued gravely. "The poor guy thinks you're a lesbian and that you like his female persona better. He probably thinks that you wouldn't want him if you knew the truth. You can't expect him to be honest when he thinks that he'll lose you for sure."

Kagome bit her lip as she mulled his words. Could it be possible that her affections toward Shaya were keeping the hanyou from telling her the truth? _But, I told Inuyasha that I loved him. Wouldn't that encourage…_ She gasped as she remembered what she really had done. _Oh, no! I told _Shaya_ that I loved _her_, not to Inuyasha!_ If Kouga was right, she had successfully hindered her plans with her overexcited reaction two days ago. She huffed in irritation. If that was the case, she would have to work harder to make her hanyou talk. "You really think so?" she asked the wolf finally.

"Yes." Kouga snorted before he continued, "I might give him hell every chance I get, but Inuyasha is a good guy and he's my friend. He doesn't deserve to be lied to. Not by you of all people. The guy didn't even glance at the girls I threw at him for years just because he was in l-…" Just when it was getting really interesting, the boy stopped abruptly and clenched his mouth shut.

"He was what?" asked Kagome, dying to know what he was going to say.

However, the wolf shook his head stubbornly. "Never mind. If you won't tell him the truth, then I will."

That was enough of a distraction for the miko. She forgot about Inuyasha's past immediately and cried out in panic, "No!" Clasping her hands in front of her chest, she begged to the demon. "Please don't. I'll have him confess. You'll see. Just… give me tonight." When the boy seemed hesitant, Kagome took his hands in hers and gave him her best puppy look. "Please understand, Kouga. I need to hear it from him. I need him to be _honest_."

Kouga sighed in defeat and glanced away before looking back at her sadly. "He _honestly_ cares about you."

Seeing that he was going to comply, the miko gave him a grateful smile and squeezed his hands once before letting go. "I know that he cares about me. I just don't know how much."

Kouga chuckled in amusement as he took his glass back and got comfortable in his seat. "Girls," he uttered, shaking his head hopelessly. "You don't realize a good thing even if it hits you in the head."

"And you do?" shot back the miko with good nature. "You don't even realize your feelings for Ayame."

The wolf raised an eyebrow at her comment. "My feelings…? If you haven't noticed, I've been telling you my feelings for her for the last two hours."

"Oh, I noticed, all right. I notice more than you do," mumbled Kagome pensively. It fascinated her how clueless men could be when it came to the matters of the heart. She watched him take a big gulp of his drink with a grin on her face before she blurted out, "You're obviously in love with Ayame, but you can't name it for the life of you!"

Once again, Kouga spluttered his drink all over his jean-clad legs. "Love?" he exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes, my friend, love." Patting the shocked boy's shoulder sympathetically, Kagome stood up from her stool. "While you chew on it, you'll have to excuse me. I need to visit the restroom."

Even though she enjoyed Kouga's company, which was something she had not expected, the miko had not forgotten why she was there. She had been searching the crowd for Rin since they had arrived. Unless her sibling was not hiding in a shadowy corner of the dimly lit place, she was not in this part of the club.

Kouga moved to stand up to accompany her, receiving an impressive glare from the girl. "No, mister," she said with finality. "You won't step a foot in the ladies room if I can help it. Enjoy your drink. I'll be back shortly."

When the demon smirked at her comment and nodded gamely, she flashed him a smile and turned to face the dozens of patrons enjoying the fine qualities of the establishment. Steeling her nerves against the stares of the opposite sex, the miko left her escort with determined strides and headed for the door with the sign that said 'Staff Only.'

* * *

Kouga sighed as he lounged in his bar stool chair, watching the g-string clad stripper that was gyrating against the pole in the middle of the stage.

After what Kagome had said, he couldn't help but to picture Ayame up there instead. Wild, red hair whipping around her face, her lithe athletic body sliding up and down the pole...

His thoughts often found their way to her. He didn't really notice when the change happened. At first, she was just an annoying roommate and the stench of her boyfriend on her had made him irritable. He scrunched his nose up in distaste. He hated the way her boyfriend's musk covered up her spicy, cinnamon flavor. He swore that boy smelled like a skunk.

He sniffed. It was almost as if that wretched smell was right under his nose, causing his face to contort in disgust.

That was when he realized where the stench was coming from.

_Fuck. The asshole is actually here!_

Cerulean blue eyes of the ebony-haired beauty surveyed the room. Numerous gentlemen turned their heads in glee when Kori had them in her sights. But, her bored and disgusted gaze kept them from trying to pick up on the single girl.

Then, Kouga saw him in the corner with a half-naked brunette giving him a lap dance. The cheating wolf demon had his face in the girl's tits, and the woman was moaning on top of him.

_I'd be moaning too if that reeking odor was next to me._

An evil smirk formed on the wolf's face once the implications of what he was witnessing dawned on him. _What would your girlfriend think if she saw you in a strip club with another girl on your lap, asshole?_

Kouga nearly chuckled with glee as he brought out his cell phone and punched the speed dial for his favorite girl.

"Hey, Ayame…" chuckled Kori as loud rock music blared in the background. "Why don't you come down and party with us tonight?"

Ayame's voice seemed confused as she tried to respond. "Kori? What? On a weekday? I can't… I'm studying."

"Pffftttt," muttered the blue-eyed wolf demon girl. "You study too much girl. You need to relax, like Kagome over here. We're drinking it up together; it's our girls' night out at the Seventh Heaven!" Kori's eyes then fell upon Ayame's boyfriend, who was obliviously enjoying the attention of the nearly naked woman in his lap. "Come join us. It'll be fun!" _And that way, you can see what a cheating ass your boyfriend is…_

Ayame nearly stammered in skepticism, "You're having a girls' night out… in Seventh Heaven… with Kagome?"

"Yeah," drawled out Kori. "We're just two chicks hanging out and getting a few drinks. And, this place is great. They let us walk right in for free. We're even getting some free drinks."

"You…Kori, don't you understand what sort of place you are at? That place isn't safe. Remember what happened the last time I left you alone and they spiked your drink! If I hadn't gotten there in time! Shit, girl!" Ayame paused and seemed to be yelling something at Shaya. Then she returned to the phone call. "I'll be right there, don't move, girl! And for Kami's sake, stop drinking the free drinks! You never know what's in them!"

His roommate ended the call amid Shaya's agitated voice in the background.

He should have felt guilty; he should have felt some remorse. But, all he could think about was revenge and making sure that Ayame finally saw her boyfriend to be the lying cheat he had always hoped the jerk would be.

Kori smirked at her cell phone and kissed it in glee. The exuberant wolf demoness perked up as she swung off of her stool and headed for the front of the club. Ayame would get there soon, and once her eyes had been opened, he'd finally be rid of that jerk who inexplicably had his roommate's affections.

* * *

The halls of the dorm were crowded with pajama-clad teenage girls, sharing the latest gossip of the day before they had to go to bed as the hanyou sullenly made his way to his room.

"Did you see what she was wearing?" whispered the familiar voice of Kagura from a few doors down. She was talking to her cronies in front of her room. "I swear that girl's gotten out of hand. It will be no time before she starts whoring herself on the streets."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at their stupidity before he completely ignored their gossip and annoying giggling. He couldn't care less about whom they were denigrating this time; he had more important problems to deal with.

When he had gone back to the shrine with Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome had already left. Perhaps for the first time, he had been glad not to see her. His meeting with his girlfriend's parents only made his dilemma harder to solve. They thought Kagome knew who he really was, and he wished with all his heart that it was the truth.

But unfortunately, it wasn't.

He knew that he had to tell her, but he also knew that if he did, he would lose her for good. Because, Kagome loved Shaya, she had declared it loud and clear. How was he supposed to tell her that there was no one named Shaya?

Would it be any different than killing the girl's lover if he told her that Shaya never existed?

It had been bad enough when he couldn't even talk in front of her. How could he survive if she looked at him with hatred in those beautiful chocolate orbs he adored?

Still without a sound decision, the hanyou sighed tiredly and opened the door to the dorm room he shared with Kagome and the wolves. The living room was silent. Ayame sat by the dining table with her books sprawled on the wooden surface. She looked up from her homework and gave the hanyou a small smile in greeting.

Inuyasha saluted the girl with two fingers to his temple and headed directly for his room. He slid open the door, hoping to find the object of his frustration in bed. He took in a deep breath to savor his favorite fragrance. No matter how wound up he was, Kagome's scent would always calm him down.

His ears twitched in surprise when he realized that her scent was not as potent as it should have been. He turned on the lights to see that the room was empty right as Ayame's cell phone rang in the next room.

"Kori? What?" he heard the wolf demoness ask. "On a weekday? I can't… I'm studying."

The hanyou returned to the living room, curious as to what Kouga was talking about. He didn't need to strain his ears to hear the wolf from the other end of the line as Ayame looked at him and asked in disbelief, "You're having a girls' night out… in Seventh Heaven… with Kagome?"

Alarm bells went off in Inuyasha's head the moment he heard the club's name. What was Kagome doing out there and what had the stupid Kouga been thinking, taking her to the wolf's den? "I'm going to kill that shit-head," he grumbled before he bolted out of the room, ignoring Ayame as she yelled after Shaya to wait for her.

* * *

The loud bass of the music reverberated in the narrow halls and thumped in sync with Kagome's pounding heart as she moved forward with timid steps. So far, she had stumbled into five private rooms and witnessed more than enough disturbingly bold sexual positions to last her a lifetime. Unfortunately—or fortunately, considering the scenes that were burned into the poor girl's retinas—there was still no sign of her sister. She came to another corner and hesitated. Her determination was waning with every step she took. How would she survive if she saw Rin with a big, ugly man, bent over a…

The miko clenched her eyes shut and shook her head to scatter the horrible image that flashed in her mind only to stumble back when something hit her—hard. _Oh, God. I'm so busted._

While she was expecting to come face to face with one of the guys that had kidnapped her, the sound of her name from a familiar voice made her gasp in surprise and relief.

"Kagome? Is that you? What are you doing here?" asked Rin in a hiss as she glanced around to see if there was anyone to overhear the siblings' conversation.

"What do you think? I was looking for you," snapped back the miko, suddenly irritated by her sister's less than pleasant greeting.

"How did you know that I would be here?" asked the elder girl as she furrowed her brows partly in confusion and partly in disapproval.

"I have my ways too, you know," grumbled Kagome, raising her chin stubbornly. But, the relief she felt at finding her sister unharmed quickly won against her annoyance, and she pulled Rin into a hug. "I haven't heard from you in days and I had to know that you were fine. I know you have a purpose but I wanted to see what you were doing in a gentleman's club," she mumbled against the older girl's hair before pulling back to look her over. "And what are you wearing?"she asked incredulously as she appraised Rin's scantily-clad form with wide eyes. "Or, _not_ wearing."

Rin folded her arms on her bare belly self-consciously. "I'm working here. It's the only way I can get close to the Band of Seven. You shouldn't be here…" she uttered before she stopped abruptly. She cocked her head to the side and bit her lip in thought. "Or, maybe you should..."

The glint in her sister's eyes told the miko that she was planning something. "What is it?"

Still chewing on her lip, Rin sighed in resignation. "Earlier today, I was supposed to meet Bankotsu to discuss my new routine. When I went to his office, I heard voices behind the door. It was father's voice, I know it. I think Bank was listening to his video records… for what, I don't know, but I need to get those records before he hides them again or deletes them. But, you see… Bank doesn't leave his room until night, and I have to be on stage when he does. He's meeting some of his associates tonight, and it'll be no time before they lock themselves into his room after my show." Once she was finished, she took the miko's hands in hers and looked her in the eye. "Kagome? You can't pick locks, can you?"

The younger girl shook her head. "You know I can't, onee-chan. You're the one who takes after dad."

"I'm doing this for dad," said Rin as she squeezed her sister's hands. "Kagome, you have to help me."

"But… how? I… I can't…" stammered the miko in confusion.

Grinning mischievously, the stripper threw her arm over the school girl's shoulders and turned to lead her deeper into the establishment. "It'll be a piece of cake, I swear. You'll be safe. No one will know the difference."

* * *

A blur of red and white jumped from rooftop to rooftop as Inuyasha raced toward the Seventh Heaven. "I oughtta…" he huffed out before he leaped high at the edge of a building. "…kill that horny wolf," he finished after he landed with a grunt. It was obvious to the hanyou that the free peeks they had gotten in the showers almost every day had not been enough for his amorous friend; the boy just had to go to a strip club for more.

What really bothered Inuyasha was that Kouga had managed to drag Kagome along. His miko was sweet and naïve, and that damned place was not only packed with horny males, but it was also the den of the bastards who had kidnapped them. He trusted his long-time buddy with his life, but not with his love. If something happened to her… He shook his head as he jumped once again, not wanting to continue that train of thought. _She should have waited for me, dammit!_

As light as a feather, he landed on the ground in the alley next to the front entrance of the Seventh Heaven. With one hand on the case that held his Tessaiga, he crept up along the sidewall of the large building and peeked around the corner. He relaxed when he saw that none of the members of the Band of Seven were hanging around the club's entrance. However, he noticed another figure he recognized easily and his jaw clenched in annoyance.

Kori's tall, curvaceous figure paced up and down the pavement. The wolf glanced around nervously and checked his watch every few steps as if he was waiting for someone too important to miss. _The waiting's over, you idiot. Your angel of death is here._

Narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists, Inuyasha stepped out of the alley and stopped right behind the anxious wolf, who was too focused on watching the other end of the street to notice his approach. With a fast maneuver, the hanyou had his friend in a headlock, squeezing the boy's neck enough to keep him from screaming like a girl.

"What the fuck?" wheezed the demon as he clawed at the arm around his throat.

However, Inuyasha was relentless. "Exactly," he hissed against the wolf's ear. "What the fuck are you doing, wolf-shit?"

"Inu…Inuyasha?" croaked out Kouga, coughing and holding his abused throat after the half-demon had showed him away.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Why the hell did you take Kagome here, you baka?" He glanced around quickly then, and his brows furrowed in anger. "Where the fuck is she?"

"I-I didn't…" the wolf started before his eyes widened comically. "Shit!" he cried out. "I forgot about her!" Hearing the hanyou's growl, Kouga hurried to explain, "She went to the restroom and she was still gone when I came out here."

"You retard," hissed Inuyasha between clenched teeth as he grabbed the demon by the collar of his shirt. "You left her alone in that shithole?"

"Sorry, man. I had to come out to meet Ayame and I…"

Ignoring the disturbing image of his hands so close to the pseudo-girl's voluptuous bosom, Inuyasha shook him once, cutting his explanation. "Never mind," said the hanyou before he eased his hold on his friend and pushed the guy away. "I'll find her."

He turned his back to the disheveled demon and stomped to the double doors of the establishment, grumbling about stupid, good-for-nothing, dick-headed wolves. He became aware of the burly bouncer only when a large hand stretched in front of him, hovering dangerously close to his nonexistent boobs.

"Wait a minute, lady," said the bouncer. Inuyasha glared at the offending appendage, and the man snapped his hand back as if burned before clearing his throat nervously. "Aren't you in the wrong place?" he asked as he eyed the half-demon girl's miko attire pointedly.

Inuyasha snorted in mild amusement. "I'm meeting someone here." Narrowing his eyes, he added seriously, "And, I'm already late."

"If you say so," murmured the bouncer and nodded to the sign behind him with the entrance fee.

Inuyasha had no time to waste with arguing for money. Kagome could be in trouble right that second. Cursing for his luck, he plunged his hand in his white shirt. While the bouncer watched with wide eyes, he took off a bunch of crumpled bills from between his deceivingly large breasts. "This should be enough," he muttered as he shoved his hard-earned money to the big guy's face and hurried to the door.

"Hey!" shouted the bouncer. "What do you have in that bag? Do I need to see it?"

Smirking, the hanyou looked back over his shoulder. "My vibrator!" he yelled without stopping. "Do you want to see it?"

As the big guy gaped in shock, Inuyasha pushed through the double doors and was instantly overwhelmed by the heavy stench of the place. "Stupid wolf," he grumbled once more for good measure. If it hadn't been for Kouga, his miko would have been safe in the dorms and in his arms by now. How was he supposed to find her in that crowd with all the disgusting odors clogging his nose?

A dark, leather-clad man announced the next dancer as 'the Lady of the West' while Inuyasha struggled to make his way through the crowd. He stuck to the walls at first, not wanting to stumble upon the creepy guys that had kidnapped them. He saw a petite girl with long, dark curls and a killer body take the stage. The upper half of her face was hidden by a sparkling mask with angel wings at the sides that seemed in harmony with her white, feather boa. As she started gyrating her hips awkwardly beneath the barely there white kimono she wore, the hanyou dismissed the show and returned to scanning the club for his beloved.

He couldn't see any traces of Kagome, but he spotted the members of the Band of Seven in a private lounge, immersed in deep conversation. Relieved that he wouldn't be noticed by them any time soon, he dared to approach the stage on his way to the ladies' room.

"How long does it take for this girl to pee?" he grumbled under his breath as he pushed away a drunk patron that was reaching for the dancer's dangling boa so that he could pass. Then, a thought occurred to him and Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks. _What if something happened to her while she was alone in the restroom?_ His hands trembled momentarily in fear, and he took a deep breath to ease his nerves enough to let him race to the back of the club.

It was then that he noticed the miko's scent.

Relief flooded through the hanyou knowing that his girlfriend was close by. He sniffed once more for good measure. _Yep. She's here._ He looked left and right, expecting to see his beautiful miko. But, she was nowhere to be seen. He breathed in deeply, letting his nose direct his gaze to the source of her sweet scent.

His gaze went up instead of left or right.

The Lady of the West stood frozen on the stage, gaping at him behind her mask with wide eyes.

He would recognize those chocolate orbs anywhere.

"Kagome?" he mumbled in shock before he realized exactly what his girlfriend had been doing there. White hot anger spread through his body as if a bucket of boiling water had been spilled over his head.

End of Chapter 16

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: The song in this chapter that Mrs. Higurashi sings is "Glitter in the Air" by P!nk. You can listen to it at: __http :/ www . youtube . com / watch?v=3stsDXki_U__. It's a sweet, mature love song._

_#2: Ai is having way too much fun writing the parents in this story. Their personalities just seemed to come to life on their own accord. She saw Takeshi Higurashi as being more like Kagome, who is also very emotional and to add to that, he's also a hardened policeman. (Don't mess with Takeshi!) Also, a little cultural note…in Japan a woman who is still a virgin on her wedding day is still highly regarded. Keep in mind that they still have arranged marriages in Japan (cue in Ranma 1/2); their culture is very unlike our own in this regard. Takeshi might seem a little overbearing, but according to his culture he's supposed to keep his daughter 'pure' until she is married. Somehow the authors believe that his over protectiveness is not going to make much of a difference, however…_


	17. He's My Girl

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_**Warnings:** Foul language, limey action, brief lemon, excessive nudity, and possibly disturbing situations due to said nudity.  
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_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: BlackdeathMessenger, SplendentGoddess and Hedanicree  
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_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea  
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**Chapter 17: He's My Girl**

"Ignore the crowd," mumbled Kagome, repeating the pep talk Rin had given her to prepare the miko for the most outrageous act of her young life. "They are a bunch of clucking chickens."

Just like her elder sibling promised, this was going to be a piece of cake. With the mask covering her face, nobody would notice that she was not her sister. Even if they found out that someone broke into Bank's office, Rin would be the last one they would suspect. Everyone would think that the stripper was on stage while it happened.

"It will be a piece of cake," Kagome repeated once again when she heard a deep voice announce the Lady of the West. Before she took her first step, she released her breath in a long sigh and mumbled, "Remember, chickens."

However, it was hard to dismiss the drooling faces of the countless males as she walked down the stage on wobbly legs. It was even harder to ignore their hungry stares while she tried to imitate the few basic moves her sister had taught her minutes ago. She felt naked under the impossibly short, white kimono she wore, and the patrons' eyes as they looked at her as if she was their next meal didn't make imagining them as hungry chickens any more soothing.

She felt like a scrap of fodder about to be devoured.

"Oh, Kami. This isn't working. I can't do this," she whimpered, gyrating her hips awkwardly against the metal pole in the middle of the stage. She was aware that her movements were rigid, and that only increased her discomfort. She had half a mind to turn back and flee when she glanced to the steps at the back of the club that led to Bank's office on the second floor and saw the shadow of a petite figure fumbling with the door. Rin was already at work, and ending the show now would only endanger the young woman's life.

Kagome could tell that the patrons were irked by her shyness. "Shake them better, your highness! Show me your tits already!" yelled someone near the stage, followed by shouts and whistles of agreement. They wanted to see more skin. Knowing that she had to try harder to avoid raising suspicions, the miko decided to use the second tactic Rin had recommended.

Leaning against the pole, she closed her eyes. In her mind, every person surrounding the stage disappeared; she was alone in the club with Inuyasha. The solid surface against her back was not the cold metal of the pole but his warm, hard chest. The loud bass of the music pounding through her body was his heart beat. It was his groin that she was grinding against, and it was his strong neck that she held onto when she raised her arm and grasped the pole behind her head. Before long, the heat coursing through her skin was because of her sheer lust for him instead of the spotlights. She yanked at the collar of her kimono and freed one shoulder, grateful for the slight relief it provided from the fire that had ignited deep within her belly and spread through every single part of her being.

Unfortunately, a male voice that did not belong to her Inuyasha broke her trance by shouting, "Hell yes, baby! Take it off!" Her eyes snapped open in irritation only to widen in shock at the sight before her.

A male in the audience—probably the one that shouted a second ago—was reaching for the dangling end of her feather boa. But, that was not what froze Kagome in her place; it was the vision of the hanyou girl dressed in miko robes, pushing away the patron to make her way along the side of the stage.

Kagome blinked in disbelief as Shaya stopped dead in her tracks and glanced around as if she was looking for someone. _No, he can't be here. I must be hallucinating._ The poor girl still couldn't believe that her beau was standing in front of her even after she concentrated and saw her beloved hanyou's chiseled features beneath the charm.

That was until her shocked gaze found his golden eyes blazing with rapidly rising fury.

Tremors of fear passed through her as she wondered what his reaction would be. However, beneath the rage burning in his mesmerizing orbs, she saw the kindling of another fire. It was subtle, dominated by his anger, but it was there: _Lust_.

The heat she had succumbed to before she was rudely brought out of her trance returned in a rush, starting in her belly and quickly taking over her body. The desire that radiated off of his aura along with waves of red fury fueled hers, and before the miko knew it, she was back in the world she had imagined for the two of them. No other eyes existed in the whole club apart from the pair of molten lava pools staring at her with promises of punishment and more. Her hips moved on their own accord as if to lure him in, and his fists tightened as his glare hardened. Kagome bit her lip when her heart rate quickened in excitement at the sight of his clenched jaw. The stubborn woman in her rose in response to the dominant stance of her mate, defying him and daring him to prove his worth.

Without thinking, the miko quirked an eyebrow in challenge to the fuming hanyou and unfastened her kimono.

* * *

"Calm down," growled out Inuyasha between his painfully clenched teeth. "Calm. The fuck. Down." He could feel the heat of his fury right to the tips of his ears. His fists clenched as his eyes raked over the barely covered body of his girlfriend. If it was possible, her legs looked even lovelier than they normally did with the soft glimmer on her skin. _Did she put on oil or something? _For a fleeting second, he wondered how they would feel in his palms. However, his anger quickly suppressed the desire she invoked in him the moment his ears caught yet another bastard's rude demand for his miko to get naked soon. His nostrils flared with his harsh breathing. He could see a bloody massacre in his near future unless he got his temper under control.

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Inuyasha opted to think before he acted. He had to admit that it was hard to do so with the state he was in, but knowing that they were surrounded by the Band of Seven and possibly even more of Naraku's men kept him from acting too rashly. There were too many of them for him to beat down without putting Kagome in danger. Making a scene by jumping on that stage and dragging the miko out of there was too risky.

Unfortunately, Kagome was not helping him think clearly with her actions. He growled when she quirked an eyebrow at him and dropped her kimono, revealing a set of sparkling lingerie that covered almost nothing. He didn't know what his stupid wench was trying to pull, but she didn't seem to be up there by force if the way she moved her hips meant anything. Little Tessaiga leapt up to salute her performance, and the hanyou's eye twitched in annoyance at his traitor body's reaction to her. All the while, his rage was rising with every passing moment, turning his face to an angry red.

He felt like a bomb ready to explode.

This was going to end badly if he didn't do something soon. He was going to spank Kagome for this stunt and kill Kouga for not keeping an eye on her. But first, he was going to get her off that stage and put some clothes on her sexy, little body.

Severing his gaze from the sparkling triangles that managed to cover little more than her nipples, he turned the force of his glare to her half-lidded eyes. At the sight of her masked face, a sudden thought occurred to him. An evil smirk tugged at his lips, earning a confused look from the girl. _You're so going to pay for this, wench._

He glanced at the private lounge to see the members of the Band of Seven drinking and laughing obliviously. Taking his chance, he skirted along the stage and headed for the door that would lead him backstage.

Inuyasha threw the door open only to come face to face with a two-meter-tall bodyguard. The man's beady eyes looked at the hanyou girl with confusion after he appraised her miko outfit. "Lady, what are…" he started to ask but was instantly silenced by a seemingly delicate fist to his jaw.

The hanyou stroked his knuckles as the bodyguard fell unconscious. He grabbed the man by his ankles and dragged him to a dark corner before jumping over his limp form. He adjusted the Tessaiga's case on his shoulder and sniffed carefully. Despite the stench of sweat and alcohol lingering in the air, it was not hard to catch the scent of feminine perfume and powder. Once again, he let his nose lead the way and took off in the direction of what he supposed was the dressing room.

Every moment that passed while his miko was exposed to the eyes of countless horny males pushed him further to insanity. Unfortunately, the only pair of eyes that should have ever seen her like that were too busy looking for the door that would take him to his future mate. Finally, after an excruciating minute, Inuyasha stumbled into the room he sought.

Rows of dressers crowded with slinky materials lay on the two sides of the expansive room with large mirrors hanging on the walls. Women of various states of undress bustled around, applying makeup and chatting loudly. Inuyasha's eyes immediately found the sacred door that lead to the stage at the back of the room. Not wanting to waste one more second, he stomped toward his target. On his way, he snatched a mask that rested on the racks to his right. He glanced at the red and black object in his hands. It looked like a demonic mask with twisted black horns that he wouldn't mind wearing even if he didn't look like a girl. But, that didn't matter to the hanyou; what mattered was that it would cover the top half of his head and hide part of his face along with the ears that would certainly give away his heritage as well as his fake identity. He mentally patted his back for keeping enough sanity to not jump out there and present to those bastards the very girl Naraku had gone to such lengths to kidnap on a silver platter—or in this case, a stage with a red carpet.

As he reached the door, he pulled the mask on, feeling every bit like the devil that he posed as. He was about to bring hell to the lives of a few souls.

"Hey!" called one of the dancers from behind his back. "What do you think you're doing? You can't go out there!"

"Watch me," the half-demon muttered darkly before an evil smirk tugged one corner of his mouth up, flashing a sharp fang between lips that were exposed beneath the mask. He hurried through a dimly lit corridor and made a left turn before the spotlight seeped in from between heavy curtains and illuminated his way like a beacon. His ears twitched under the mask at the sound of whistles and catcalls he could once again pick up despite the blaring music. With a growl escaping through clenched teeth, he grasped the curtains and threw them open only to be blinded by the stage lights.

Ignoring the rise in cheers at his abrupt appearance, Inuyasha blinked as he waited for his eyes to adjust. Once they did, he scowled at the sight before him. Two dainty arms held onto the pole in the middle of the stage with a slender leg wrapped around it. His heart skipped a beat at the taunting vision of his girl's practically bare ass even as his eye twitched in irritation. _Why the fuck is she doing this shit?_

Large waves of dark hair blocked his view as Kagome bent at the waist and threw her head back. Her mouth popped open in surprise when her chocolate orbs met his narrowed stare upside down. She froze for a second before she pulled herself up and turned to face the fuming hanyou. He glared daggers at her as he stalked to where she stood, fully intent on putting a stop to this ridiculous show.

Right as he reached her, Kagome twirled around the pole, using it as a pitiful barrier against his wrath. Inuyasha snorted in disdain; there was no barrier strong enough on the face of the earth to keep him from dragging her sorry ass out of there. His hand shot out to grab her arm, but the sneaky wench avoided his attempt by swinging to the other side of the pole.

"Hi, Shaya," she greeted as if there was nothing amiss with the state he had found her in, as if this was an everyday occurrence.

Beneath his mask, Inuyasha's nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath to calm his rage.

It didn't work.

"Hi?" he spat out incredulously. "_Hi_? I leave you alone for a fucking hour only to find you flaunting your ass in the middle of a fucking strip club, and all you say is 'hi'? Are you out of your damned mind, wench? What the fuck were you thinking?" Before he was finished, he reached for her. Much to his annoyance, she swung her body again, and he ended up palming the air instead of her arm.

"Umm… It's nice to see you, too," she said sheepishly, completely ignoring his tirade.

"What the fuck?" cried out the hanyou in disbelief. Perhaps, she had indeed lost her mind. "Come on. We're leaving this place before I kill someone." Exasperated with her movement, he threw his arm around the pole and caught her by the waist.

But, the miko resisted and uttered a single word that almost made Inuyasha forget about his mother's teachings on how to treat a lady. "No."

He grabbed the pole with his free hand, leaving dents on the metal in the shape of his fingers in his struggle to keep his cool. He squeezed his eyes shut and growled out, "Kagome, either you come willingly or I'll…"

Kagome's soft but frantic voice cut through his warning. "You don't understand."

Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms. Her eyes pleaded with him to listen. Her small hand slid up to his shoulder, and he noticed how close they were standing—so close that the scratchy material of the sparkling triangles on her chest was brushing against his shirt. Her warm breath fanned over his chin, and he had to shake his head to focus on what she was saying.

"I'm pretending to be Rin, Shaya," she whispered softly. Her gaze flickered to the side, and his eyes followed only to see a couple of closed doors at the back that were visible from the stage. "She's out there in the boss' office, looking for evidence. She'll be in danger if I don't finish the show!"

Finally, it all made sense to the hanyou. She hadn't lost her mind after all, and neither was she trying to drive him mad. His sweet, self-sacrificing miko was simply protecting her crazy sister. Unfortunately, that revelation did nothing to improve his mood. If he dragged her out of there like he wanted to, they would notice that something was wrong and Rin would most likely get in trouble. If he let Kagome continue…

He glanced at the girl in his arms, then at the office door and then back at her pleading eyes. With a groan, he gave in to reason. "Dammit!"

The part of him that forced Inuyasha to think acknowledged the change in him. If it had been a few months ago, there would have been no male in that club without a bruised eye or a broken limb by now. And, it was all because of the woman that was currently grinding against his leg to keep up the pretenses. By constantly pushing him to his limits, she was somehow turning him into a more reasonable, more responsible adult. _Go figure that._ He was becoming more like the son his parents needed him to be. He grudgingly accepted that fact, but he didn't like it in the least.

Especially not when a pack of horny bastards were drooling at the sight of his girl's bare ass.

Once again aware of the audience, Inuyasha glared at the grinning males and snarled in annoyance, "What the fuck are you staring at?" His hands glided down Kagome's waist and cupped her bottom in a failed attempt to hide her from the amorous stares, earning a half-squeak, half-moan from the girl.

Unfortunately, he was not heard by anyone other than Kagome due to the increase in whoots and catcalls, which aggravated the hanyou to the point that he was able to ignore the tantalizing scent of the miko's arousal as it reached his nose. Movement from down the stage caught his attention, and he growled as he noticed that a few patrons were reaching for Kagome with tips in their hands.

_Oh, hell no!_ The Kami only knew where they would tuck the money if they got their filthy fingers on her. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in determination. _Not while I'm alive, assholes._ Holding Kagome's hand, he whirled her around and toward the back of the stage, which ended up as quite the artistic move and effectively saved her from the line of fire.

Once the surprised miko was steady on her feet, he let go of her hand and turned back to the crowd. He flashed his fangs in a menacing snarl while he took the Tessaiga out of its case and swung it toward the overexcited audience in a wide arch. Much to his annoyance, the men leaned away from the sheathed sword before they cried out their appreciation for the highly creative show with their thumbs up.

_Bastards think I'm joking. They won't find it so amusing if they lay a hand on her!_

* * *

Kagome watched, bemused, as Inuyasha jumped from one side of the stage to the other with his sword in hand. He would swing it toward the crowd whenever someone tried to touch her. The audience cheered the seemingly hanyou girl's every move excitedly, believing that Shaya was part of the show. She supposed it shouldn't be surprising; with their masks, they made quite the pair. _The angel and her aggressive demon…_

Scanning the club, her gaze landed on the private lounge where she thought the Band of Seven sat. The man Kagome had pegged as Bankotsu based on Rin's description of him was eyeing the stage and its two occupants intently. It was then that the miko realized that she had stopped dancing and was standing awkwardly, completely thrown off by Inuyasha's presence. She panicked, fearing that the boss would notice that the current Lady of the West was not Rin. If she was going to keep her sister safe, she had to try harder and perform the moves Rin had showed her earlier.

Mortified at what she was about to do, Kagome turned her back to the crowd and wiggled her ass. "Please forgive me, dad. This is for you and Rin," she whispered before she bent forward at the waist and held her ankles, giving the audience a nice view of her assets.

Even through the roar of the patrons, her ears caught a blush-inducing curse. Suddenly, all she could see was red as Inuyasha jumped to stand behind her. She almost lost her balance, but before she did, she felt his strong grip on her hips, keeping the surprised girl from falling on her head. She could physically feel the waves of rage radiating off of him along with something else as his hips pressed against her barely covered heat. A moan threatened to escape her lips, but instead, she let out a squeal at what he did next.

He spanked her.

The miko's eyes were wide in shock while the hanyou's hand slid up to her belly and guided her to stand up against his chest. His voice was soft when he asked, "Did I hurt you?"

"A-a little," she gasped out, surprised at what he did as well as her reaction to it. She couldn't believe she actually liked it. _Since when have I become so…_

…_kinky?_

She shivered when she felt his hot breath on her ear. "Good," he hissed menacingly. "'Cause there'll be more of that shit if you keep pulling stunts like that." Then, as if to emphasize his point, he bit her earlobe.

This time, she moaned.

"Fuck," cursed Inuyasha before letting her go.

The dazed miko couldn't decide if it was because of her response to his touch or because he was back to being enraged by the patrons since he was once again swinging his sword around. Among the catcalls, Kagome could hear their demands to see more skin. She stole another glance at the boss to see him watching the show with rapt attention. She bit her lip, and her eyes flickered to the office door while her hand timidly made its way up to her top.

"Don't you dare," growled Inuyasha into her ear, making the girl flinch.

"But, they'll get suspicious," she whispered. "I have to…"

The hanyou cut her off with a snarl. "No." The audience was insistent though, and he whirled around, baring his teeth threateningly. "You wanna see tits, you assholes? I'll give you tits!" he yelled before he took his shirt off in a flash and threw it down near his feet with a slap. "Happy now, you bastards?"

Chocolate orbs widened in mortification along with amusement as the hanyou returned to jumping around aggressively. It was next to impossible for the miko to keep her concentration in her shocked state, and she had to watch Shaya and her bare breasts bounce around for a few unforgettable seconds.

The audience loved it.

When her brain finally started working again, a wide grin stretched across Kagome's face. It made her giddy to see to what lengths Inuyasha would go to protect her. He would, apparently, even strip in front of a bunch of horny males for her. She smirked as her eyes took in the sight of Shaya's feminine perfection. _Yep, he's my girl, all right._

The miko absentmindedly rotated her hips in time with the beat while she focused her attention on her powers. It wasn't long before she could see through the concealment spell again, and when she did, she gasped in amazement. Strong muscles flexed under his glistening skin as Inuyasha took the stage in a storm. He was a sight to behold with only the red hakama pants covering him from the waist down. With the scary mask he wore and the sword held expertly in his capable hands, he looked like an ancient warrior. _My demonic protector from the Feudal Era..._

Suddenly, her pants were damper than they had already been.

Her little fantasy lasted only until she heard one of the patrons shout at her, "Come on, Angel! Don't be shy! Show us some heavenly goods already!" The middle-aged man's demand was followed by a rise in cheers.

Kagome looked at Bankotsu and saw that he was frowning in her direction. _I suppose I won't be able to escape this, after all._ Resigned to her fate, she glanced at Inuyasha, who was too occupied in his one-sided battle to notice her actions. Steeling her nerves, the miko unclasped her bra and let it fall down her shoulders.

To her horror, the roar of the crowd alerted the hanyou and he turned to see her blushing down to her nipples. His mouth fell open before his lips formed a single word that Kagome guessed was 'fuck.' The color of his face and neck rivaled the deep red of his mask as Inuyasha ran to her side. Before she could react, his large hands were covering her breasts. The heat that surged through her body from where his skin touched hers was instantaneous.

"What the hell…" he started to ask in a growl, but the miko didn't wait him finish. She twisted in his arms, his warm hands still on her breasts and crashed her lips into his.

After all the tension she had endured for hours—sexual and otherwise—she needed this; she needed to feel him. So, she took what she could from her hanyou. It didn't hurt to know that the audience was giving their seemingly lesbian act a standing ovation.

Feeling bolder, Kagome's hands tangled in his long mane, holding him in place. Inuyasha seemed reluctant at first, but when her tongue peeked out of her mouth and glided between his lips, he gave in with a groan. His hands twitched over her soft mounds, and she pressed closer to him.

"Fuck, Kagome," he whispered breathlessly against her lips. "I swear you're going to be the death of me."

The miko almost moaned, but the sound was swallowed by the hanyou's hungry mouth on hers.

* * *

Rin waited until she heard Renkotsu announce 'the Lady of the West.' She knew that she didn't have much time. Her manager was always predictable. Bankotsu was watching her 'performance,' just as he always had, except this time Kagome was her doppelganger.

Rin knew that Bankotsu wanted her, but due to her constant rebuffs, the closest the man would ever get to seeing her nude was onstage. She figured that the strip-tease would give her at least fifteen minutes and then she knew that he would be meeting with his boss, Naraku, after the show.

The meetings would go on for at least an hour; they usually did. She was hurrying because she had just played with the video camera feed for the hallway leading to Bankotsu's office. She couldn't let anyone know that she had been there, so she had an old video playing in its place. However, it was a looping video that would only play for thirty minutes, giving her a strict deadline.

With cold determination, she put a tension wrench into the lock and then slid the lock pick in place. She had broken into his office numerous times. Her hands had memorized every groove of the lock. With a few careful tugs, she heard the lock click and she silently pushed the door open.

Rin had picked up on many things while working on her criminal justice degree. After working with some ex-cons, she had learned how to use lock picks and how to disable alarms. She had also specialized in 'Internet Sleuthing,' and that particular skill had proven helpful in getting the evidence that she had collected during the past months.

She closed the door behind and noticed that Bankotsu had left his computer running. Rin moved the mouse to stop the screen saver and was confronted with a login. The stripper cracked a smile. The idiot had placed his login on a sticky note on his monitor long ago and had never bothered to change it. For some reason, he thought locking his door was enough. Rin would let him live in ignorance.

Once she had logged on, she typed in the password that allowed her to login remotely to Naraku's personal computer. When Rin had first logged onto Bankotsu's computer a few weeks ago, she had installed a piece of spyware that took random screenshots, kept track of everything that was ever typed on his keyboard and then sent her daily e-mails. After about one month, she had found everything she needed on Bankotsu's PC. She already had plenty of evidence that would shut down the illegal dealings that had been going on at the Seventh Heaven. But, she had a bigger fish to catch. She wanted to take Naraku and his Yakuza clan down. Bankotsu and the Seventh Heaven were nothing more than stepping-stones to the bigger prize.

However, tonight was her night. Her hands flew across the keyboard as she managed to install the same spyware on Naraku's system. Then, she plugged an external hard drive into Bankotsu's PC. It was going to take a while, but she was determined to copy the entire hard drive of Naraku's PC remotely.

Rin's mocha orbs reflected the florescent green light from the monitor. The screen in front of her flickered as it kept her posted on the progress of the backup. _20 minutes until the backup was complete…_

* * *

Kagome stepped off the stage while holding the fuming hanyou's hand. Rin had never left the manager's office while she was doing the striptease, and the miko saw Bankotsu walking toward that same office. His hand was on the doorknob and he was about to turn it.

The miko's eyes widened in panic and she pulled Shaya behind her with a jerk. The two girls were immediately in the back hallway facing the manager's office. "Bankotsu!" she cried out in desperation.

The man slowly turned around wearing a sly grin. His long, black braid swung behind him like a whip as he sauntered toward the two women.

"Well, well…" murmured the older man as he clicked his tongue. "You said you wanted to discuss your new dance routine." The man gazed at Kagome with a mischievous grin and then looked up and down Shaya's body lasciviously. "Girl, I didn't think that you could ever outdo your usual routine. But, that hot lez-bo action made our clientele very happy tonight." Bankotsu's blue-gray eyes paused as he took in the sight before him.

The girl he thought was Rin still had on her silver mask with angel wings fluttering over the corners of her eyes. Her petite and curvy frame was barely covered by a silver bikini. The top was a little askew from being pulled off just moments ago.

However, the girl next to her was taller and had even more curves. In fact, the girl's large breasts were on full display. Golden bosoms with round pink-brown centers jiggled nicely on the woman's form.

He studied her face to note the scowl that graced her perfectly rosy lips. "What's your name, girlie?" asked Bankotsu while his eyes never left her bountiful bosom.

Shaya shifted her hips and pulled Kagome closer to her. Then managed to heft her large sword over her shoulder in warning. The girl was the perfect epitome of a demon warrior. Her skin was golden, long silver hair cascaded down her nude back, and she wore a demonic red mask with long black horns. _Kami, she'd be a good fuck… _

The woman sneered in anger as she looked down at Kagome. "We are going to get the hell out of here now!"

The miko's brown orbs widened as she twisted in the hanyou's arms. She closed her eyes in concentration and then let her miko aura wash over the two of them. When she opened her eyes, she was pressed up against Inuyasha's bare male torso. His skin was tan and glistening with perspiration. She breathed in deeply to smell a very male musk seeping into her pores and the thin bikini she wore.

She whispered up at the man who held her. "My sister's still in there, Shaya. Please, we'll leave soon…"

Inuyasha's golden eyes flickered in agitation under the red demon mask that covered half of his face. He was having a hard time holding it together. He didn't know which emotion held greater sway right now: anger or lust. He felt the strong desire to get into a fight and hit something, yet a more basic part of him wanted nothing more than to finally prove to Kagome how very male he really was.

Right now he wasn't even really aware that he looked like a girl. He was too keyed up to put on appearances. He didn't even seem to notice that Bankotsu was ogling his breasts.

Part of him wanted to spank Kagome again for disobeying him and stripping in front of other men. The other part of him couldn't help but react to the sight of his girl dancing so erotically. _Fuck me… no…fuck Kagome…_

The demon within him surged against the miko energies that flickered around her. If he didn't control himself soon, he would be shoving his girl against the wall and making her his bitch.

"Ka...," he started to snarl.

Kagome knew she had to stop him before he said her name in front of Bankotsu. Quickly, her lips pressed up against his and he immediately opened his in response.

He needed her. He needed her on him, he needed to be in her, and he needed her pressed against him. He only knew rage and his pent up sexual need for the one girl he had desired for years and had never had.

The swirling miko energy that surrounded them and the raging hard-on left from their earlier kiss made the choice.

With animalistic hunger, Inuyasha pushed her against the hallway, effectively trapping her between him and the wall.

There was no logic as he gave in to his body's demands for his chosen mate. Kagome's lips became swollen as he demanded retribution in the form of bruising kisses. His claws quickly sliced away her bikini top that fell listlessly to the ground beside her.

If Inuyasha was to look back, Kagome should have reacted with fear, but she seemed just as lustful. Her long, lithe legs were nearly bare, and one leg was hooked behind his back.

His hands found purchase in the warm skin of her bottom. He hefted her up against him and pushed his growing hardness against her concave core. They meshed together so nicely. Inuyasha hissed as he ground against her while his miko moaned in his arms.

Bankotsu stood next to the two girls agape. Two hot and nearly nude lesbians were getting it on right in front of his office. At first, he had wondered if it was part of their act. Perhaps, Rin was just trying to show him how far she would go to create a hot striptease. His eyes wandered up and down the two girls who were pressed against each other.

He drank in the sight of two sets of naked breasts pushed up against each other and the taller girl grinding her pelvis against Rin's. He couldn't help it; his crotch began to harden, even though he had witnessed numerous 'dance' routines at the club. _Holy Shit! This is hot!_

He had always wanted Rin, but her aloof and professional manner had always kept him at a distance. However, today the girl he had always wanted was writhing in front of him and lustfully enjoying a wanton act with another woman. All rational thought left his brain and coursed downward.

Suddenly, he was struck with the idea of joining in their sensual game. Sexual hunger overrode his common sense. He seldom tried to come onto a dancer at the club, but he couldn't help it. What man could?

He noticed the taller girl trying to shove her hakama pants down. His hungry eyes drank in the sight of two perfect, golden skinned butt cheeks peeking out from under the top of her red pants.

"Here, let me help you with that," intoned Bankotsu as his hands tugged at the waistband of the girl's hakama.

Shock in the form of icy water seemed to wash over Inuyasha. There was a man behind him, trying to pull down his pants.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Inuyasha screamed as he elbowed the human male in the gut.

The club manager crumpled onto the floor like discarded refuse. The hanyou only looked at the man briefly before returning his attention to Kagome. He was shocked to see the miko's flushed and nearly naked body pressed against his. Her heavy lidded eyes seemed to be lost in lust.

_Shit! Shaya turned her on. She'd have fucked me as a girl if I didn't pull back. God damn it, why did she have to want a girl?_ Inuyasha could only swallow his own guilt as his raging hormones started to settle. _I have to think of anything but her soft, oiled skin… Fuck!_

The miko he held in his arms blinked and slowly took note of her surroundings. _Why is he stopping? Oh…?_

Through the lustful haze of her vision, she noticed that Bankotsu was lying on the floor. _How did he get there?_

With a detached curiosity, Kagome spoke. "What did you do to him?"

Inuyasha was trying to stop his heavy breathing as he let his girlfriend's body slide down him and onto the floor. When her body slipped past 'Little Tessaiga' he groaned.

"I…uh…" he looked at Kagome with unsure eyes and a dumbfounded expression. "He…uh…he touched me and I…"

The miko's eyes widened in understanding and a gentle hand was placed on Inuyasha's bare shoulder.

It was just then that the door to the Seventh Heaven's manager's office opened. With a barely audible crack, Rin peeked out and quietly closed the door behind her with a silent 'click.'

The older sister was positively beaming when she saw Kagome in the hallway, but then her face quickly morphed into confusion when she spied her manager unconscious.

Rin looked up at Shaya and Kagome. "What happened?"

Kagome quickly blurted out, "He was going to open the door to his office and Shaya had to knock him out."

Inuyasha only nodded in confusion.

The older sister looked at the two half-naked girls curiously before holding a mini-hard drive to her temple. "I've got it. With this, I'm taking him down!" Then she looked up at Shaya once more and quirked an eyebrow. "You know, I'm sure the two of you had a great routine up there, but you need to get dressed. Come with me to the dressing room."

Rin only giggled in amusement as the befuddled Shaya and her sister followed behind.

* * *

Kouga paced with worry and excitement in front of the Seventh Heaven. He eagerly anticipated the storm that he was sure to witness.

The phony wolf demoness grinned while the bodyguard in front of the building looked at her tight jeans that stretched like a second skin over her perky ass. Luckily for Kouga, he didn't recognize the extra attention he had garnered. He was lost in thought.

If he did everything right tonight, Ayame would be ripe for the picking. She'd dump her loser boyfriend, and then, he'd finally get a chance. He tugged against the bracelet that he wore. _Fucking piece of crap…_

If he could only let Ayame see who he really was... He was sure that just looking at his gorgeous eyes or seeing his masculine charms would have her running to him. His hanyou friend was far too lucky. All it took was one night in his human form, and Inuyasha had been freed. Kouga was still chained like a dog to his half-life—a life as a girl and even worse, a life where he was becoming incredibly fixated on his feminine, red-haired roommate. He growled in frustration.

"Kori?" He knew that voice and fragrance anywhere. Kouga breathed in deeply to let the enticing scent of cinnamon play against his senses. Just having her near him calmed him. His heart rate settled, and his breathing evened out.

He turned with a genuine smile on his face. He was happy and he'd be even happier if she dumped that rat's ass tonight as well. "Come on, girlfriend! Let's get this party started."

Kori tugged Ayame along behind her. With a sashay of her hips and a flirtatious wink to the bodyguard, both girls got in without paying.

"I don't think that is a good idea, Kori. We need to get out of here." Ayame stopped inside the entrance to the club and spun her friend around. "I can't believe you have been drinking free drinks. Remember what happened the last time you were clubbing?"

Kouga's smile briefly faltered. A few weeks ago, someone had slipped a drug into his drink, and he had started to pass out. Unfortunately, he was unable to stop the offender—who seemed to have every intention of molesting him…er…her before Ayame had saved him!

The wolf demon grinned at the girl in front of him. He had never been rescued by a girl before and he realized that his affection for the girl had blossomed that night. He had always thought Ayame was too much of a butch for his taste. But now, he realized that her dominating ways were just turning him on. He grinned as he looked down at his dorm-mate. "Nothing will happen to me while you're around," he declared with complete assurance.

The girl's emerald green eyes widened in annoyance. "Now, hold on. Just because I got you out of a bad situation once doesn't mean I'll always be there for you. You need to watch yourself. Where's Kagome? We need to get her out…

The wolf demoness paused as she sniffed the air. "What?"

Kouga tried not to grin as he noticed the telltale stench of skunk in the air. _She's finally scented her fucking boyfriend. Kami, this is going to be good! I just need to play the part of the innocent._

"What's Kuno doing here?" Ayame seethed. Then, an anguished roar seemed to pipe through her lithe body.

A red streak, like the color of a setting sun, ran through the crowd and Kori had a hard time keeping up. "Wait for me, Ayame. You can't just…"

He was answered with a determined growl as Ayame ran to a back hallway and passed the unconscious body of a man. _Must be the bodyguard…_ Kouga sniffed the air. _Shaya was here?_ Then, the wolf demon smiled. It was just like Inuyasha to knock out anyone getting in his way. At least, he made it easier for Ayame and him to find her 'boyfriend.'

Kouga huffed in annoyance as he followed her down the myriad of hallways with curious doors labeled with names like 'Kink and Naughtiness,' 'The Playpen' and 'Foreplay.'

Why did she have to get so worked up over that cheating asshole? It was not like she should even be passing the time of the day with him. Ayame was much too good for that prick. He frowned when he remembered the last time he had seen them together. Ayame had kissed that slimy jerk right on the lips. Her delicate hands had reached up and circled his neck in desire, and the jerk had grabbed her butt and squeezed it in front of him. He might have been able to handle the entire event, if it wasn't for the letch eyeing him suggestively as he kneaded his fingers into Ayame's butt cheeks. Kuno had looked him square in the eye, licking his lips and giving him a grin that was supposed to be seductive.

It had been glaringly obvious to Kouga—being that he was a man and was watching another man in action—that Kuno wouldn't settle for just one girl. Ayame was just a plaything. She was someone he picked up to fuck when he needed some action.

Ayame's boyfriend made him sick, and sicker still when Kouga remembered that he was also far from being a prince charming. When he fucked a girl, he rarely stopped to think about what she felt, other than lust. In fact, before Ayame, he had never considered making love to a girl. But now, he craved it. How he wanted her in every way. How he wanted to be the only guy in her life. He wanted to love her… _Oh fuck, Kagome's right, I am in love with her…shit!_

He heard Ayame gasp as she rounded the corner and opened a door labeled, 'Busta Nut.'

The door swung open to reveal her boyfriend, Kuno Tatewaki, naked and bent over the girl that had been giving him a lap dance. The brunette was on all fours in front of the demon with her ass in the air. Kuno's straining and nude body slammed into her from behind; his short, ebony hair swayed with each thrust.

It only took the boyfriend a second to feel the cold air against his legs and the wavering scent of cinnamon and fury in the air.

The boy's head turned to face the door; his dick still firmly entrenched in the girl's ass. "Ayame?" he stuttered in surprise.

The wolf demoness shook her head from left to right. Her eyes briefly flickered to disbelief before morphing into absolute rage. "You said I was the only girl for you, Kuno-baby! You said you loved me! You said that you'd mate with me!"

The man pulled out of the girl in front of him, his hard-on quickly becoming flaccid. "You're the only girl for me. You know how much I love redheads," he replied while flashing a grin at her. "I just needed to…"

"Save it, asshole!" Ayame furiously yelled as her hand clenched into a fist and quickly found the guy's jaw.

Kuno sputtered as he fell comically to the ground, falling on his 'trick.' The woman shoved him aside and tried to stand up. Meanwhile, the confused demon turned to look up at his fuming girlfriend. Her face was readily becoming as red as her hair.

The letch finally managed to stand and smirked at Ayame. His legs were a little wobbly and he was stark naked.

"Oh, come on Ayame-baby, I was just having a little fun, why don't you join in?" he stated while smiling. Then he turned to look at Kori and her tight jeans. "Your little friend can join us, too."

Kouga had heard enough. He smashed his fist into the other side of Kuno's face. The confused demon stumbled backward before hitting his 'erstwhile' partner on his way down.

Kouga grinned and then looked blithely at Ayame. "I've always wanted to do that!" he responded with childish enthusiasm. Then, he grinned at his distraught roommate before pulling her behind him.

He was so happy to know that Ayame finally knew the truth. He was so ecstatic that he never noticed the listless way she tugged behind him or her utter quiet.

Once Kouga got her out of the front door of the Seventh Heaven, he beamed a smile at the girl he loved. He was shocked to see the lost look in her eyes, the slump of her shoulders and the utter despair that graced her beautiful features.

"Kori," she stammered. Her lips moved, but no sound escaped her mouth. Her entire body rocked and spasmed as an anguished sob arose from her lips.

"Ayame?" Kouga questioned as he moved forward, one hand braced against her shoulder.

The girl collapsed into his arms, her body shuddered and wet tears streamed down her cheeks. "I thought he loved me, Kori… I thought he loved me…"

Kouga pressed the sobbing girl against his chest. His mouth was wide open. This was not how he expected the night to end. He thought he would feel joy at finally getting her to see her asshole boyfriend for what he really was. He never expected the cold self-hate that coursed through his veins or the pain that enveloped him now that he knew that Ayame was hurting.

Ayame would have lived happily in ignorance if he hadn't come along, and somehow, he wondered if that wouldn't have been that bad of a thing. His long clawed fingers brushed the crying girl's red strands as he held her close to his body, trying to soothe a crying woman for the first time in his life.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's bored gaze fell upon the stage. His idiotic half-brother was trying to keep his girlfriend from stripping. However, he had to give his brother credit for trying to keep his mate from exposing herself in front of other males.

He frowned to himself. When he had been faced with a similar situation he had turned tail and ran. But if he had known then what he knew now, he probably would have thrown Rin over his shoulder and locked her away in his rooms. In fact, he still wished that he could.

He itched to get Rin out of there and to keep her safe. But she said this would be her last night. After tonight, she would no longer work at the Seventh Heaven and he was here to make sure that she kept her promise.

Naraku already threatened to kill his only brother, and if he found out what evidence Rin had stolen from the Seventh Heaven, he was quite sure that Rin would not make it through the night. He needed to protect her and he needed to make sure that Naraku was only a distant memory. With the evidence that she had already gathered, he was sure that the half-demon would be in jail for a lifetime.

Rin didn't know it yet, but she wasn't going back to that seedy little apartment of hers. He had already arranged to have all of her things moved to his flat on top of the Takahashi building. When this night was over, he'd escort her to her new home, whether or not she wanted to. And then… He thought wryly over what might happen next. The last time they had joined together, it was in desperation and angry lust.

He was hoping that tonight it could be with love and forgiveness.

Sesshoumaru had lingered in the corner of the room long enough. Kagome and Shaya had left the stage. He was now ready to pick up Rin. It didn't matter to him if she protested.

His leather-soled shoes softly fell upon the concrete floor as he glided toward the hallway behind the stage. He was sure that there should have been someone on duty to stop him from accessing the office space of the club, but no one hindered his way. He did notice a giant of a man knocked out and hidden under the stage. Apparently, Inuyasha had already taken care of the guard.

The taiyoukai's eyes soon fell on Rin, who was giggling and was waving a small computer device near her temple. "I've got it, with this I'm taking him down!" Then, her amused glance looked over the nearly naked duo in front of her. "You know, I'm sure the two of you had a great routine up there, but you need to get dressed. Come with me to the dressing room."

A fang peeked out from over a lip as Sesshoumaru moved forward so quickly and silently, that Rin didn't have time to react. He snatched the computer device from Rin's fingers and swiftly slid the device into the pocket of his jacket. "Thank you, Rin. I will hold onto that now," he stated impassively.

"Hey!" the petite girl yelled as she growled at the imposing dog demon.

Sesshoumaru only responded with a slight quirk of his brow.

"I need THAT!" she hissed with wide angry eyes.

The dog demon's lip curved upward momentarily into an almost smile. "You have done a formidable job in collecting the evidence you needed, Rin. I have already taken the liberty of removing the items from your apartment and storing them in the corporation's vaults. They should have never been in your hands. If he ever found out…"

"You WHAT?" screeched Rin. The small woman started to poke the larger man in the chest. "Who said you could take all of my hard work, you arrogant asshole…"

Inuyasha couldn't help but to interject comment. "Don't forget fucking bastard…" said Shaya with a smirk on her face.

"YOU!" Rin spun and now pointed his finger at the hanyou girl.

Both Rin and Sesshoumaru yelled simultaneously at the girl with the demonic mask. "Stay out of this!"

The other side of Sesshoumaru's lip now joined the other to form a full smile. "Rin…"

His words only served to further infuriate the little pixie at his side. Her finger was now shaking at her boyfriend. "Don't you 'Rin' me! You arrogant bastard! Who do you think you are?"

The taller man bent his head down to whisper against her lips. "Your future mate." And with those words, his sneering lips smiled against hers. He pressed his advantage, and the smaller woman melted into him. Her lips met his with equal fervor while her pathetic fists were still hitting him on the back without any real effort. Soon, her hands stopped their blows and instead started to caress his back. The elfin woman moaned in his arms.

Shaya wore a look of repugnance as he pulled Kagome away from the unwelcome show. "Ugh! My brother and Rin... That is so disgusting."

For Kagome, it seemed like the lustful magic that had tied her and her hanyou together had faded. She didn't notice Inuyasha carefully adjusting himself as he walked in front of her, his hand in hers.

"We're getting the fuck out of here, Kagome!" With single-mindedness, Inuyasha pulled his errant girlfriend behind him and directly to the changing room. They walked past a few admirers who hooted and hollered at the two girls' bare and jiggling chests. It took everything in him to not attack the nearest male. At least, no one bothered to grope the growling hanyou.

"Change and do it quick!" Inuyasha ordered while crossing his arms against his voluptuous chest.

Kagome tried not to giggle, she really did. She knew her boyfriend was too keyed up to really notice what a sight he had made of himself. As she let the miko magic fade, she was able to see the tall hanyou girl, with two hands folded across her bountiful bosom.

"What?" groused Shaya.

"I'll put on a top, if you'll put on a top," said Kagome with a grin. Then, she kissed her gboyfriend on the cheek and moved to find the clothes that she had stashed earlier.

Inuyasha blushed at the quick peck that his girlfriend had given him. Why was it that she always had him so flustered and on edge? He quickly looked down at his chest, and his eyes twitched in horror. He had been wandering around the club, topless for the past few minutes and had thought nothing of it. He was a guy; he was used to going topless!

He palmed his forehead as if he had a headache. He peeked out from between his fingers and he noticed Kagome taking off her silver lame bikini bottom.

His eyes drank in her rounded bare bottom that had been freed from the small g-string. He couldn't help but to stare at her oiled skin that shimmered in the dressing room. He watched as her long legs stepped into a pair of red lace boy shorts and then shimmied into tight leather pants. He was enjoying the view until he noticed that she stopped with a small red halter-top. She was wearing nothing else.

"What the fuck? You showed up to this club wearing that?" Inuyasha moved forward and pointed his finger at her breasts that were barely contained by her scrap of a top.

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. The action further distracted the hanyou, who was trying his damndest to scold his girlfriend. "I had to! If I showed up in my regular school-girl uniform, they would have recognized me."

Inuyasha only looked at her befuddled. He was happy to hear that she had thought to hide her identity and at least she had worn a mask while on stage. But did she have to look like a hot biker chick? He looked down at her legs and the stiletto heels that she was strapping on. The heels made her calves stand out. He could see the muscles of her legs clearly through the tight black pants she was wearing. _Damn, the leather looks like a second skin!_

Inuyasha didn't waste any time with changing. He threw his demonic mask on the floor and grabbed the nearest kimono top to pull over his frame. Then he found the biggest and bulkiest jacket he could find and threw it over Kagome's shoulders. "Keep that on you!" he ordered. "I can't believe that you showed up here in that!"

Inuyasha fumed as he bent forward and motioned with his hands for Kagome to ride his back. The miko sighed and then stepped forward.

Her thighs wrapped around his waist and his hands cradled her firm, leather-bound ass.

Faster than a ninja, Inuyasha sped out of the backdoor and leapt into the night.

Kagome only squealed in delight, her stint at the Seventh Heaven nearly forgotten as she clung to her boyfriend. "I can get used to this," she said while kissing Inuyasha on the side of his face.

He nearly stumbled at the contact and squeezed her buttocks more firmly to keep her on his back. _Focus dammit! _Then, he bounded from building to building, making his way to the Shikon Boarding School.

* * *

When Sesshoumaru finished kissing Rin, he was pleased to note that his half-brother and girlfriend were nowhere to be seen. He pulled away from Rin. Her eyes were half-closed, and her lips were still puckered as if to plead for more.

He nearly chuckled as he patted her cheek. The action was enough to rouse Rin from her stupor. Her lips pursed in indignation, and she seemed ready to yell at him again.

The dog demon placed two fingers against her lips. "Not now, you could still be recorded. Save it for later—in my rooms."

"Your rooms?" shouted Rin. "Why would I be at your place tonight?"

His placid face betrayed almost no emotion as his fingers traced down her cheek, then down her neck. Rin swallowed involuntarily as his fingers moved past her flimsy top and down the smooth skin of her chest. "You will come home with me tonight, Rin." He didn't feel the need to add that he needed to protect her from Naraku, that her life was in danger or that he really just wanted to lock her into his apartment for at least a week. She would understand; she always understood what he left unsaid.

Rin swallowed again and put her hands in her hips. "Fine!" she muttered as she tossed her head back and sashayed away from her boyfriend.

Sesshoumaru could not help but to stare at her lovely ass as she walked away.

"I'll meet you outside of the dressing room," he intoned as he followed her to the entrance that said 'Employees Only.'

Rin only glared at Sesshoumaru. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be out."

"Stop," murmured the dog demon before she closed the door in his face. He pulled her body flush against his own and then kissed her hungrily once more. "I'll see you soon, Rin. I'll be waiting."

The girl's eyes softened and she turned away from him in a daze. His kisses always seemed to do that to her. Half of the time he left her incoherent and that was before they had even reached the main event. Her mind quickly decided that going home with him would actually be the best decision she had ever made in the past two years. With a distracted look in her eyes, she simply clicked the door shut behind her.

Sesshoumaru smirked in delight. Finally, he would have what he had sought after being without her for so long. He would get Rin home and into his bed and back into his life. Then he would need to figure out what to do with the mounds of evidence that Rin had collected. He had a few contacts with the police force that would undoubtedly prove that Naraku had deep ties to organized crime.

He almost whistled as he waited, but then, unflappable dog demons never whistled. It wasn't dignified. A crooked smile graced his lips while he imagined what the rest of the night would hold.

* * *

Naraku strummed his fingers on the large mahogany table. In front of him were some of the members of the Band of Seven. They were meeting at the VIP Lounge of the Seventh Heaven. The Band was supposed to be his strong men; they were supposed to follow orders. But as usual, incompetence surrounded him.

"Why is Bankotsu taking so long?" he wondered out loud with more than a little irritation in his voice.

The men around him cringed, and the boss scanned the table again.

Jakotsu sat at the end, and unlike his normal attire, the man was trying not to wear anything flashy. _Perhaps he doesn't want to be the focus of my attention?_ The usually unflappable mercenary sported a large black eye and a split upper lip. However, the man had managed to put concealer around his eye and lipstick on his lips, so they were harder to notice. _Figures…_

The dwarf, Mukotsu, sat next to him. His bottle glasses magnified his black eyes, and his face was mottled with bruises and cuts.

Naraku pensively looked at the rest of the band as his eyes fell on Renkotsu, Ginkotsu and Suikotsu. Ginkotsu was the only one who was smiling. That living tank was as stupid as he was strong. Renkotsu and Suikotsu were the smartest of the bunch; they looked at him warily.

Naraku's lips pursed into a fake smile as he glared at the two lackeys who had displeased him. "I asked, 'why is Bankotsu taking so long?'"

Ginkotsu was the only one who bothered to answer since he didn't seem to understand the underlying tension in the room. "He's probably just hitting the head. Do you want me to scout out the men's bathroom for you, Naraku?" The large man laughed, exposing the sharp metal teeth that were embedded in his mouth.

"Yes," Naraku drawled. "Go and get him. The incompetence of this group amazes me." He glared at Jakotsu and Mukotsu again. "You can't even kidnap two helpless teenaged girls and not screw it up!"

The two mercenaries cringed as they remembered the punishment that Naraku had bestowed upon them after their most recent failure. Not only had they screwed up a simple kidnapping, but Sesshoumaru had showed up and had embarrassed their boss in front of other mafia dons. And they were the ones who had to pay for their boss' embarrassment.

Jakotsu looked past Naraku's head, and his eyes widened. There, right in the middle of the Seventh Heaven was the very dog demon that Naraku had been fuming about. "Sesshoumaru," Jakotsu barely whispered. He whistled softly as his eyes gleamed in appreciation. "Man, that guy is hot…"

Naraku's eyes followed Jakotsu's over his shoulder and behind him. While Jakotsu was looking on with lust, Naraku's entire face sneered in displeasure.

"Why in the fuck is he here?" the mob boss nearly screamed. He almost frothed in panic. The last time he had met with the man, he had promised himself that those obnoxious dog demons would pay.

Renkotsu slyly peered at the scene that was being enacted near the women's dressing room. "Hummm, he seems to have quite a thing for one of your dancers, boss."

Naraku's eyes narrowed to watch his nemesis thoroughly kiss 'the Lady of the West.'

"Hey! Isn't that the stripper who finally broke down and gave a dog demon a lap dance?" questioned Suikotsu in amazement. "Rin drove Bank crazy because she'd never put out like the other dancers. But then, that guy showed up and paid over 500,000 Yen a night for some time with her."

"Did he?" asked Naraku with narrowed eyes. It was readily apparent to Naraku that the unflappable Sesshoumaru, who he had long thought of as being either asexual or homosexual, was actually lusting after the 'Lady of the West.' It was an interesting turn of events. No one paid 500,000 Yen for just a lap dance. The whore must have been putting out, and Sesshoumaru was obviously utterly entranced by her feminine charms. Perhaps, he could finally take down that accursed dog demon with Rin as the bait. She was, after all, only a stripper. He was quite sure that Bankotsu could find another one to replace her.

"Kanna!" he yelled while snapping his fingers. "These idiots couldn't even kidnap two little girls without screwing it up. I need you to take care of that stripper. You know what to do with her."

A small, little figure crept out of the darkened corner of the room. She seemed almost like a ghost as her milky skin and long white hair emerged from shadows. Kanna never said a word; she only nodded briefly to Naraku before turning to leave.

Jakotsu was the only one manly enough to call out after her as she left. "Girl, I swear that whole 'White Gothic Lolita' look does nothing for you. Have you ever thought about getting a new hairdo or padding your bra?"

Kanna's face turned to look at Jakotsu. Her grey eyes were blank, like she was only a hollow shell that moved. Even the normally unflappable mercenary cringed at her attention. Then, like a robot, she turned to pick up a small mirror before heading to the dressing rooms.

"Aww… I think she took my comments to heart," Jakotsu cooed, eyeing the creepy girl and her mirror. "And, use some blush!"

"Shut up," growled Naraku.

"Sure thing, boss," proclaimed the effeminate mercenary as he settled back into his seat.

_

* * *

Reviews are more effective than tips to get Inuyasha to agree to strip.

* * *

_

_**Next Chapter:**__ 'Giving In,' which will contain some more bare nudity of course… ;-)_

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: Everything Rin has done on the computer in this chapter can be done with modern, run-of-the-mill technology._

_#2: If you paid attention you might have noticed that one of the band of Seven (Kyokotsu) was missing in the chapter. He was the bodyguard that Inuyasha knocked out to get on stage._

_#3: Ai does want to mention that strip clubs are much more sleazy than were written in this chapter. Please don't think that real ones are anything like what we have written here._

_#4: If you like this story, then Ai Kisugi has two other fan ficts to recommend at Adult Fan Fiction. Can't Get Enough by Roxotaku and This is Gonna be Fun (uncensored) by TwistedHilarity. Both stories are hilarious and had Ai laughing out loud. They also have a plethora of lovely lemons! Inu/Kag of course!_

_#5: If you read the spoiler for this story, 'The Inuyasha Support Group,' you would have already known that Inuyasha was going to strip in this chapter._

_#6: Yes, that was 'Kuno Tatewaki' in this chapter. He's the resident moron in Ranma 1/2. You might remember him as having a crush on Ranma's redheaded, female persona. He was also in 'He's My Girl,' chapter 5. That was the chapter when he was picking up on Shaya. No, Kuno was never a demon in Ranma 1/2, we changed him into one for this story. But he does look the same and perhaps only acts a little more lecherously in this story. As far as we know, Kuno never got 'lucky' in Ranma 1/2._

_#7: We would like to thank Landofthekwt and Psyco_Chick32 for nominating and seconding 'He's My Girl' for Best Inuyasha/Kagome Romance with the Inuyasha Fan Guild._


	18. Giving In

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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Warnings: Foul language and lemony goodness_

_Special thanks to our awesome and talented betas: SplendentGoddess, Theleb K'aarna and blackdeathmessenger._

_Co-authored by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea  
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**Chapter 18: Giving In**

The door to the dorm room was thrown open by a giggling girl. She held onto the doorknob as she tried to control her laughter. Her dog-eared companion stomped past her with a scowl on her strikingly beautiful face and unintelligible grumblings on her tongue.

"I don't understand what the fuck was so amusing!" Inuyasha exclaimed politely. When another burst of laughter came from the dark-haired girl, he sighed tiredly. "Will you ever stop that shit, Kagome?"

"I'm sorry," gasped Kagome as she clutched her middle. "But, it was so funny, Shaya! You should have seen your face!"

Inuyasha's scowl intensified if that was even possible. "My face was not _funny_," he grumbled. Those bastards on the subway definitely deserved the bruises he had given them for ogling his girl's leather-clad ass. Inuyasha had been on edge all night at the Seventh Heaven, and he wasn't about to stand by and let one more asshole check out his girlfriend—not anymore. So, he had done what he did best; he had beaten the shit out of the idiots that dared to look at his girl. Without his mask on, he had caught a glimpse of his enraged face on the vehicle's window after he had landed a swift kick on one of the boys' back. The hanyou had thought he had looked menacing despite his feminine features.

The miko disagreed.

Of course, she would. All she had seen was a crazy hanyou girl with madly rounded eyes and a contorted mouth, shouting obscenities at a bunch of surprised teenagers. She didn't know him as the desperately in love, insanely jealous boyfriend he fancied himself to be. That remembrance brought a pout to his lips, and Inuyasha huffed some more, causing Kagome to sober a little.

Once her giggles finally died, the miko closed the two feet gap between their bodies. Biting her lip, she slid her hand up his arm to his shoulder and murmured, "It wasn't only funny, though."

The amusement in her eyes turned to the smoldering look she had given him all night, sending shivers of excitement down his spine. But beneath it all, there was a determined glimmer in her gaze that unnerved the hanyou. _What is she up to now?_

Fighting against the growing desire in his chest, he regarded her with apprehension as she rose on her tiptoes. But, his girl rendered him defenseless with her whispered words. "I thought you looked hot."

The warmth of her sweet breath on his chin followed by the softness of her lips on his mouth slowly melted every last drop of irritation he felt, leaving him with the unquenchable passion that had built up in him all night. Before his brain fully acknowledged his actions, his arms were around her, pulling her closer, and his hands were roaming down her back. He devoured her mouth hungrily, taking in her essence with aggressive intrusions of his tongue and eliciting a whimper from the girl. His fingers burned from the feel of the skin-tight leather covering her firm ass and the warmth seeping from the thin cotton that barely concealed her back.

It wasn't long before kissing her was not enough; he needed to possess her everywhere. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Inuyasha knew that this shouldn't go anywhere, that he should stop before he exploded out of sheer frustration. But for the life of him, he couldn't recall why that was the case. When the miko's soft fingers found the base of his mane and started tugging him closer, he stopped trying to think and gave in to the temptation that was his Kagome.

Groaning deeply at the feel of her tongue dancing with his, the hanyou quickly nudged the closest rolled up futon with his foot and sent it open on the ground. His one hand glided down the back of the miko's thigh while the other lingered on her back. In a swift move, he picked her up, earning a squeal from the girl that was swallowed by his mouth. He grinned against her lips as he sank to his knees and slowly laid her on the futon before crawling up her willing form.

Her hands were on his shirt then, pulling it out of his hakama. Never breaking the kiss, he helped her by shredding it off of his body and throwing the pieces away.

Needing to breathe, he severed his lips from hers and looked down at her flushed face. With her hair fanned around her head, her lips swollen from his kisses and her chocolate orbs dilated with passion, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes upon.

With every breath he took, his nostrils flared, filling all his senses with the fragrance of her desire for him. She was insane with lust, and frankly, he wasn't far behind. This was what he had been craving all night. Now that he had her pinned beneath him, everything and everyone else could go to hell.

Starting with her lips, he kissed his way down the soft expanse of her neck to the tops of her breasts that were dangerously close to escaping the bounds of her skimpy shirt. His hand followed the path of his lips before settling on one of her perky mounds while he played with the edge of her shirt with his free hand and found the smooth planes of her ribs. With an excited gasp, the miko arched her back at his touch, pushing her covered chest firmly into his awaiting mouth. Her fingers left his hair in favor of his ears, and Inuyasha's eyes rolled back at the wave of pleasure she sent down his spine directly to his groin.

"Oh, Kami," she breathed out as the hanyou's fingers finally reached her firm nipple under the flimsy material. "That feels so good."

Inuyasha grunted his agreement to the valley between her breasts while he hooked one hand under her knee. "You..." gasped Kagome when his lips closed around the nipple his hand had freed of its confines with a tug on her halter top. "You feel so good…"

He would have responded in kind if he were able to make any noise other than moans of pleasure and soft growls of impatience. But as it was, the hanyou was tightly wound up below his waist and all he could concentrate on was his goal. He was so close to feeling the warmth of her center against him. The friction that he knew would overshadow anything heaven could offer was a moment away from ending months of torture. It was, for all intents and purposes, a matter of life and death, for he would surely die if he didn't feel it now.

With a growl, he raised her leg and took in a sharp breath in preparation of grinding his covered erection against her leather-clad warmth.

"Oh," moaned Kagome before whispering the word that froze him with one hand on her breast, the other still under her knee and his mouth on her nipple. "Shaya."

Inuyasha gasped, releasing her nipple in the process. Feeling as if slapped, he looked up at the miko's half-lidded eyes with shock in his own. _Damn, damn, damn!_ That single name was a cold shower over his lust-filled haze. That was why he had to be careful with her. _Fucking Shaya! Fucking spell! Fucking damn!_ He couldn't go and dry-hump his miko since he wasn't supposed to have a raging hard-on in his pants. And this time, Kagome was lucid enough to realize that it wasn't his cell phone.

Inuyasha had never been so frustrated in his life.

With a blush-inducing curse, he pushed up on his elbows, trying to extract his ready-to-explode body from her too willing one in case an accident happened and ruined his cover.

It was the most difficult thing he had ever done.

Unfortunately for the hanyou, the miko was having none of it. She latched onto her hold on his neck and raised her hips up to meet his in wanton need, forcing Inuyasha to cower back. "Ka-Kagome," he gritted out between clenched teeth when she did it again. He was fighting to do the impossible and denying himself the contact he so desperately needed, especially after hours of sexual frustration due to constant stimulation. Why did she have to make it harder than it already was?

As if she knew his struggle and was dead set on pushing him over the edge, Kagome added fuel to the already raging fire with her breathy plea. "Please."

"Dammit," cursed the hanyou before he pinned her hips down with his hands.

But, the miko was relentless and before he could tell her to stop, she rose on her elbows and started kissing his neck, trying to coax him into giving in. "Please."

Inuyasha whimpered under the assault of her lips. "I can't take it anymore. I-I won't be able to stop, Kagome."

"Who wants you to stop?" murmured the miko as her leg sneaked between his to push up to his crotch.

Despite the distraction she caused, Inuyasha was faster, and he managed to put a halt on her attempts before it was too late. He gently tugged at her hair to make her look at him and growled in warning, "Don't push me anymore, Kagome."

He quickly discovered that meeting her eyes was a grave mistake, though. The raw need he found in them told him that she was asking for more than he initially thought; she was asking for everything that he could give her.

Unfortunately, she didn't know just how much he had to offer.

"Please," she whispered then, and it was his undoing.

Groaning in misery, he slid down her body to rest his head on her abdomen. "I can't do this anymore," he whimpered against her skin.

Her fingers returned to his ears, caressing the soft fur in comfort. "Why?" she implored.

"I can't because…" Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at her with remorse. This was it. He had to do it sooner or later anyway. He decided then and there that he would take the brunt of her fury rather than let her torture him to death. Death by being sexually teased was a good way to go, some would say.

Inuyasha begged to differ.

With his mind set, he took in a deep breath and locked his gaze with hers to see the dreaded reaction before he blurted out, "I'm not who you think I am."

Something flickered in her eyes, but her face was impassive when she asked, "You're not?"

Judging by her expression, the hanyou decided that she didn't comprehend his words. How could she? It wasn't something one would say in the middle of a make-out session—especially one as passionate as they had. Besides, she had no way of guessing what he was talking about. He had to elaborate. Sighing in resignation, he lifted himself off of her and stood awkwardly in front of the futon. "I'm not Shaya."

The miko sat up in the bed and pulled her shirt down as she asked, "You're not Shaya?"

Inuyasha could swear that he saw her mouth twitch for a second, but he couldn't tell if she was going to cry or laugh. He decided it was probably the former. Shaking his head, he replied, "I'm not. Shaya doesn't exist, Kagome." He looked down at his hands, unable to meet her gaze, afraid to see sadness in there. "She never did," he grumbled as he ripped the bracelet off of his wrist and threw it to the wall with the force of his frustrations. Finally standing bare of his secrets in front of his love, he scowled at the offending object as he waited for her response.

Kagome gasped but didn't say anything to alleviate his fears or prove them right. _Poor girl's shocked into silence._ He could feel her eyes on him, scrutinizing his male form partially covered by miko robes. He was about jump out of his skin with apprehension. After a few agonizingly silent seconds, Inuyasha was not able to take anymore. He chanced a glance at her beneath his eyelashes to see her eyes fixed on his chest. He shifted uncomfortably, bringing her gaze to his face.

Kagome chewed on her lip thoughtfully before she opened her mouth. "Why?" she asked, and the detached tone of her voice made the hanyou flinch.

He looked away from the intensity of her gaze and glared at the hated set of beads on the floor. "It's that damn bracelet. It makes me look…"

His hurried explanation was cut off by the miko. "I get that, Inuyasha," she said impatiently. "I want to know _why_."

He glanced at her hesitantly, and the expression on her lovely features was enough to let him know that if he would ever get a chance to make things right, this was it. Taking a deep breath, he plunged right in. "We, I mean my friend Kouga and I, got into some trouble. It wasn't the first time, but it was the last straw for our parents. And this time, we messed with a mob boss and we were in deep shit. He wanted to kill us, and for all I know, he still does. My prick of a brother promised to help us, so we went to see him. The next thing I know, we were wearing these damn bracelets, which we weren't able to take off, and looking like two girls! And then we were forced to enroll in this school." When he was finished, he looked up to the miko, waiting for her response.

Her brows were furrowed, and she chewed on her lip for a while, making the hanyou squirm in anxiety. Finally, she let go of her abused lip and a small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I must admit that really is a brilliant plan," she commented lightly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise. Was she fucking with him, or could it be possible that she wasn't as angry as he had feared that she would be? He tugged at his bangs nervously. "You're not mad?"

Kagome's demeanor instantly changed at his question. "Am I _mad_?" she shot back with a raised eyebrow. "Let's see…" she murmured as she tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. "You practically lied to me by letting me believe that you were a girl. You kissed me and made out with me but never let me know who I was letting touch me in ways that I never let anyone else touch me before. You let me believe that I was a lesbian! You bet I'm mad, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha flinched back with every one of her accusations as her voice rose gradually. By the time she was done, he was two steps away from the door and seriously considering bolting out of the room. She finally sighed tiredly. "But, I'll decide how much once you answer one more question." She pinned him with her narrowed gaze, then. "What are you doing with me?"

The hanyou gulped nervously. "I-I didn't expect things to get this far, I swear. It's all because of Sesshoumaru!" he cried out desperately as he started to pace back and forth in the middle of the room, flailing his arms in agitation. "When he forced us to come here, I had no idea that you would be here as well. But, that bastard knew I was in love with you long before I did, and I wouldn't put it past him to want to torture me with the sight of you every day, knowing that I wouldn't be able to touch you. But then, you kissed me…"

His babbling died in his throat when Kagome launched herself at him and did just that. Her arms wrapped around his neck while she rose on her tiptoes and forced her lips on his mouth that was partially open in surprise. Her kiss was warm and demanding, and even though his mind couldn't comprehend what was happening, his body did and responded to her in kind. His arms embraced her of their own accord and pulled her closer, causing her barely covered bosom to push up against his naked chest. He shivered at the contact he had been craving for so long while his lips took advantage of the eager caresses of hers.

Too soon for his tastes, Kagome pulled back slightly and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. Her cheeks were the color of her swollen lips, and her chocolate orbs were alight with unrestrained excitement. "You really love me?" she whispered as her eyes searched his with hope.

Inuyasha was frozen in his spot in confusion until he realized what he'd blurted out during his explanation. He had unconsciously poured his heart out to her and he wasn't sure if that was the perfect way to confess his love to the girl of his dreams. But, her actions proved to him that he'd done something good for once. Reassured by her kisses, he gave her a lopsided grin before capturing her lips again. Once the unavoidable need for oxygen won over his need for her, he pulled back by a mere inch and whispered against her lips, "I do… so much."

The smile that broke on the miko's face was mesmerizing, and all the hanyou could do was smile back as he drunk in the sight of her happiness. That only lasted for a few short moments until Kagome stole his breath away with yet another kiss. This time it was hungrier, more demanding and almost possessive.

Inuyasha wasn't complaining.

After what felt like mere seconds, they pulled apart. But if the way they were gasping for air meant anything, it could have as well been hours. Raising his hand to her face, the hanyou caressed her abused lips with his thumb as he rested his forehead against hers. "If I knew you'd react like this, I would've told you long ago," he whispered breathlessly.

Kagome nodded her agreement "You should have," she mumbled before giving his finger a small peck. "Why didn't you?"

"I was afraid," replied the hanyou with a sigh. Then, his gaze turned hesitant and he started playing with a lock of her hair as he added, "And, when you said you were in love with Shaya…"

"I never said that," shot back the miko instantly, interrupting his explanation.

Inuyasha's hand froze with her hair wrapped around his finger, and his eyes flew back to hers. "You did," he insisted. "Remember when we were kidnapped and in the greenhouse?"

Smiling softly, Kagome shook her head. "I never said I loved _Shaya_." His confusion earned a giggle from her before she turned serious. "I was confused for a long time. For a long while, I really thought I had feelings for my female roommate, and it was terrifying! But in the greenhouse, it was you I was seeing, not Shaya."

Inuyasha was too puzzled to put two and two together. _What does she mean by that? She doesn't love Shaya? Did she not say that she did? What does it mean that she was seeing me? What is she talking about, dammit?_ Exasperated with the jumble of questions that was his mind, he voiced his confusion eloquently, "What?"

The miko cupped his cheeks in her palms and looked deeply into his golden eyes. "I've been able to see through your charm since the hot springs, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's eyes resembled two big apricots as they widened in surprise. "You-you knew?"

Kagome nodded with a giggle and let go of his face in favor of tracing the lines of his collarbone.

The hanyou's mouth opened and closed several times while he searched for words. "You knew all this time and…" He shook his head as a new thought occurred to him. "Wait. When you said you loved me…"

Before he could finish, the miko completed his thought. "I meant _you_, you baka."

"You love _me_?" asked Inuyasha with raised eyebrows. He found it hard to believe that she had meant his male self, not his female persona with whom she had been making out for weeks. Her head bobbed up and down in affirmation, but it still wasn't enough to erase his disbelief. "Not Shaya," he said to clarify, and she nodded again. Then, he added for good measure, "And, not anyone else." When Kagome grinned in reply, his lips slowly pulled up at the corners until he was grinning back at her. "Only me."

This time, the girl giggled in response. He was finally able to see that the emotions that had swallowed his heart for years were reflected in her eyes. It was at that moment that Inuyasha finally comprehended the meaning of her words. "You _love_ me?" he asked, astonished by the mere possibility that his love was not unrequited.

Kagome pushed his long bangs to the side of his forehead and trailed her fingers down the side of his face before cupping his cheek affectionately. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know, but she still whispered, "Yes."

Inuyasha's heart swelled to the point that he couldn't breathe for a moment. The biggest smile that had ever graced his features broke on his face then, and he picked up his miko with his arms around her waist. "Fuck, you love me!" he shouted with glee as he twirled her around the room. He was awarded with the joyous sound of her laughter.

When he finally put her down, he looked at her in wonder. His eyes searched hers for any signs of doubt or mischief. He found none. This enchanting creature, his beautiful Kagome was in love with him. _I must have died and gone to heaven._ His gaze fell on her lips, then. The smile that still lingered there was hypnotizing, and before he realized he was leaning down, his lips were on hers once more. At first, his caresses were slow and soft, worshipping her the way she deserved. But soon, they became more aggressive as he found it hard to express the extent of his love with such simple touches. To his delight, she responded with equal fervor until he had to break the kiss to let her breathe.

Panting in excitement, he looked at her with adoration before he grinned mischievously. "You're sneakier than I thought you were," he mumbled. "You knew all this time, and I never noticed."

Too breathless to talk, Kagome simply shrugged.

Inuyasha's grin widened when a new thought occurred to him. "I think that makes up for all those times that I had to keep my identity a secret."

"Oh, really?" asked Kagome with a quirked brow.

The hanyou's steady gaze fell upon his miko. "Yep. So, that makes us even." He supported his case with a single nod.

A gentle smile played upon Kagome's lips as her eyes focused on his golden ones. She moved forward to chastely press her mouth against his. Her kisses started to trail down his neck when her boyfriend drew up her hands and placed them on his chest.

"Please, touch me…here," he implored as her fingers pressed down on the smooth, silky skin of his upper body for the first time.

He watched as the very hands he had always desired to touch the masculine parts of his body were now there. Finally, he could look down and see Kagome touching the lean, angular planes of his very male anatomy. As titillating as it had been to watch two girls make out, his own body being one of the women in question, he decided then and there that he never wanted to watch their feminine forms locked in lust ever again. He was a man and needed her to openly accept and love him as a man, all of him and all of his body.

It was almost alien to finally have her touch him in that way. He drew a sharp intake of breath as his chest heaved. His heart pounded and the muscular form under her touch trembled, but it wasn't from fear. It was from intense desire, a desire that had long been denied.

Then, the sudden spark, the electrical charge that sometimes marked their passionate time together suffused his skin. He groaned against the onslaught. "Fuck!"

The next time her lips found his, it was with hunger and desperation. It was pure longing laced with unmitigated need and the magnetic pull that always drove him to her.

He pulled the rest of Kagome's thin tube top off her body, his hands lingering over her warm, sweaty skin. He felt the softness of her belly and the curves of her ribs as his hands moved upward. With every touch and caress, it felt like he was handling a live wire. Somehow, her miko's energy was rippling around her body and brushing against his demonic one. It felt like a surge of electricity had sparked from her body to his, feeding back and forth in an endless loop.

Inuyasha's eager lips found her breasts, suckling on her softness. There was a saltiness to her taste, the sweat of her body a heady concentration of her scent. He lapped at her, desiring more. His tongue lathed her nipple that beaded under his ministrations and the soft, firm skin that curved around each breast.

Her chest heaved under him as her hands pulled at his scalp, bringing his lips up to meet hers. Kagome's wet nipples brushed against his chest as she kissed him fully and deeply.

He had been waiting for too long; he needed to be closer to her. With bent knees, Inuyasha crouched forward, moving her body down under him and back on the very futon where all of this had started.

Steady hands lifted his body centimeters away from hers as he continued their kiss. Then, with a shuddering moan he pressed his bare chest against her softer one. Warm, moist skin pressed against skin. The dull ache of two opposing energies arched between them. He felt as if he was in a freefall; his heart somehow lifted out of his chest—weightless. While his heart thudded at the sensation, his body was far too aware of the girl he both desired and loved underneath him.

She sighed against his lips, and he felt the quivering mounds of her breasts pressing against his firmness. His breaths were quick and his head felt fuzzy, like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Once again, her proximity made his hardness pool and pulse between his thighs. It felt heavy with the need for a release that had long been denied him. A release that up until a few minutes ago, he thought he could never have.

He shifted himself even closer, his hardness nestling at her core. Without thought and only with need he ground himself against the place he had always desired, hearing her groan in return. A spark pulsed each time his body pushed against hers. It was a sweet torture to commit the act, but without true contact between their sexes, it was maddening. It wasn't close enough…

He pulled back to shove his red hakama and underwear off his body. Inuyasha tried to not look at the silly pink bowtie that was on the front of his panties. It was a strange sight when his reddened erection sprang free of the girly material. _Fucking thing. I'm never wearing those again!_

He had been so frantic with his actions that he hadn't had the chance to truly look at Kagome. He briefly caught her doe brown eyes and paused to enjoy the sight of her.

Her nude chest rose and fell under him with shudders. He watched the rose-brown centers quiver on her bosom. It was a fascinating sight. His eyes moved to hers and caught a look he had never seen on her before. It was the look of a girl somewhere between overwhelming desire and shock. As if her entire being was starting to short circuit and she could only ride the wave, rather than control it. Beyond her wide orbs, he saw her hair splayed out in an ebony halo against the snow-white futon.

His fingers traced down her neck, past her shivering breasts until his hand was stopped by the liquid black that encased her legs. With the reverence of opening an anticipated present, Inuyasha stripped the leather garment slowly off of her legs.

There she was lying before him, with only a black thong to keep 'Little Tessaiga' at bay.

His eyes traced her body from the junction of her thighs up to her face. It was her eyes that made his desires and his love conflict in agony. Part of him just wanted to simply rip off the offending garment and plunge into her waiting form. He had waited long enough, hadn't he? He told her he loved her, didn't he?

As he looked down, her eyes held the unmistakable glimmer of lust, but there was something more there-something that unmasked him and humbled him all at once. Her eyes gazed at him in adoration, with tender longing. The windows to her soul only held trust, reverence and the sweetest love that he had ever witnessed in someone's eyes.

The act the hanyou had been frantically engaged in changed in tone. Now, it was an act of worship, and her body was his temple. He swore to give her everything he had tonight. Every ounce of love, and everything he could do to please her.

He cupped her chin with his hand, making sure that her eyes of liquid coffee could gaze into his honeyed ones. Inuyasha wanted her to see his soul; he wanted to be laid bare before her. He concentrated on the girl before him and how much she meant to him. He hoped that his thoughts were reflected within his eyes.

"Inuyasha," she murmured as a soft smile graced her lips and her eyes shone oddly bright. She blinked, and two tiny droplets glided down to her temples. He knew then that she could see the depth of his adoration.

Those were not tears of sadness.

Tenderly, he moved to kiss her forehead, before his lips traced down her face, down her neck and across her collarbones, pausing to pay homage to her breasts, then down to her slim waist to where her heat and desire pooled.

He slid his body down between her legs and pulled the lacey black thong off of Kagome, kissing her long legs as it traveled off of her body. Inuyasha's hands parted her thighs, and his mouth hovered above her moist core. 'Little Tessaiga' angrily protested that it was being ignored and decided to twitch in complaint.

He tried to deny himself while he gave into the only girl he had ever loved. He breathed in deeply over her center. She smelled like the salty ocean tinged with an essence that was pure Kagome. Inuyasha pressed her legs further apart, and she gasped as his mouth found her lower lips.

"Kami!" she cried as her fingers dug into the futon at her sides.

He clearly remembered doing this before, even if she only had a foggy memory thanks to the alcohol she had consumed. The hanyou smirked against her warm, wet flesh as he recalled the utter state of bonelessness he had reduced her to last time. This time, he was sure that she would never forget the entire experience.

His canine-like tongue dived within her recesses, eliciting a moan. Her juices started to flow more thickly as he continued to lap. Clawed fingers found her nub, rubbing as delicately as possible against the crux of her desire.

Her head shook from side to side, her moans increased in volume and her hands grasped the mattress below her as if it was her only link to reality.

She was almost there. Kagome only needed the final push to send her cascading over the edge. He hummed while capturing her bud within his mouth. His lips pursed together, nearly whistling against her heated flesh.

Within seconds her body arched as she screamed her release. If Inuyasha wasn't already a cocky bastard, he might have felt even more arrogant than he had before.

He swiped his arm against his wet chin as he looked down upon the beauty laid out before him.

Post-coital Kagome had a rosy blush that started at her flushed cheeks and moved down to her breasts. Her chest was still heaving and her eyes were somewhere else, somewhere far away.

While his beautiful miko was coming down from her blissful high, Inuyasha moved to enter her. He felt her wet heat pressed up against his eager head. Instinct drove him with an unbearable need to feel himself deeply inside of her. He willed his traitorous body to be still, while he waited for Kagome's unfocused eyes to fall back into reality. He listened to his heartbeat and noticed that there was only a half second delay between that beat and the angry pulse that ran down his shaft. Exhaling, he closed his eyes.

A gentle hand cupped his cheek as his eyes opened to gaze at the woman stretched out below him. Her eyes were full with love and want as she whispered against his lips. "Take me, Inuyasha."

He felt the slickness of her heat rubbing against his eager tip. The hanyou needed no more encouragement. "I love you," he whispered before his lips devoured hers and his hips thrust into her with one firm stroke.

His eyes rolled back at the sensation, and the girl under him trembled. She would have cried out, but his mouth prevented it. _So fucking tight! So damned amazing! _He nearly joined her in a cry of commingled pleasure and pain.

"Kagome, are you OK?" he asked with a desperate shout as her face scrunched together and her eyes pulled shut.

He was about to move out of her when she timidly beamed a shy smile at him. Her wide eyes blinked in astonishment as her fingers touched his cheeks in reverence. Between shuddered breaths she spoke, "It…it's OK. You're just so big…"

Kagome nearly regretted her words when the arrogant smirk that was wholly Inuyasha grinned down at her. She was quite sure that he would never let her forget her declaration. So she slapped him on the ass.

"What was that for wench?" he asked in shocked surprise. _Fuck, that felt good…_

"Cocky bastard," she murmured as she pressed her hips up against him.

He supposed he could argue but he didn't feel the need. Especially when he was intimately joined with the miko he had always wanted and thought he could never have.

Moonlit hair cascaded on either side of the couple, curtaining them in their own private world as he kissed her deeply. With a groan, he pushed in again and pulled back, setting up a rhythm that rubbed their heated flesh with just the right amount of tension.

There was still a raw energy that crackled between their two bodies. Their forms pushing and pulling like two magnets caught up in a power struggle.

Kagome's hands moved to squeeze the firm buttocks that were pistoning into her. It didn't matter where her hands were; as long as they were on him, it felt good. Then, a hand drifted up to one of his fuzzy ears, and he nearly lost it.

Soft, small fingers rubbed the outside of his ear in time with his thrusts. He had been making out with his miko for weeks as a girl. He had always wanted her to touch 'Little Tessaiga.' But since that had never been an option, he had always settled for her hands on his dog-like ears instead. Unfortunately, now he reacted like Pavlov's dogs every time his ears were rubbed. He couldn't help it; now, ear rubs equated to dick rubs in his mind.

As much as he enjoyed the sweet torment, he was about to ask her to stop when her hands fell to her side. Then, her head rocked from side to side as if she was shaking her head 'No.' She was too far-gone to even touch his body at this point.

Inuyasha grinned wickedly. He knew the signs of Kagome's body when she was close to her release. He had brought Kagome to orgasm before, but it had been when she had thought he was a woman. At least being his girlfriend's lesbian partner had enabled him to learn what made her ache in pleasure. He knew her sweet spot and he was more than willing to rub it.

Careful to not scrape her with his claws, he moved his hand between their bodies and found the area that never ceased to take her over the edge. His rough fingers ran small circles around her wet, puffy bud.

She gasped and arched her back before her body contracted wildly around his hardened shaft. _Oh, fuck!_

He wasn't expecting it. He had seen Kagome come before, her body thrashing and a brilliant blush effusing her body. But he had never felt her body grip him before with such intimacy. Her internal muscles convulsed around him, pulling him with her. He was entirely unprepared for the mad rush that overcame his body as he pulsed within her tight heat.

His body lost every sense of space and time. There was only the pushing of his body into hers that guided the abrupt departure of his senses. He was moving within the woman he loved, feeling the exquisite pleasure of their joining, but he was also far away on a high that seemed heaven sent.

He pushed in again, pulsing and he heard her screams. His own rough voice joined with hers, grunting in spasmodic pleasure as he spilled within her. Slowly, he came down from his high and his head nuzzled against her shoulder blade.

_Damn! That was fucking incredible!_ He looked down at his miko with the joy of an almost overwhelming gratification. "Kagome?" he asked.

She gazed up at him with a shy smile that touched her eyes. Then her lips widened into a grin full of love and adoration.

"I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered while carefully touching his lips with her fingers. Her face held awe and reverence as if she had just witnessed a holy miracle.

The hanyou couldn't help it; a smile beamed upon his face as well. Inuyasha couldn't ever remember being this happy or content. "I love you, too, Kagome," he admitted before slowly kissing her again.

With a contented sigh, Inuyasha settled down next to his miko, spooning her from behind. However, there was something nagging him. Something in the back of his mind that was pestering him. It was something about a promise, something about making sure that Kagome was pure and a virgin. And there was some disturbing threat that followed it. However, he simply dismissed the bothersome idea. Kagome was warm and in his arms, where she should be. She was finally his and she knew and accepted him as a man. He quietly drifted into dreamless slumber, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

* * *

Takeshi paced outside of the Seventh Heaven under the watchful guise of the bouncer and a mini-skirt clad girl. He knew that they were wondering what he was up to, but he didn't want to explain. He didn't think he could tell them that his daughter was inside, stripping off her clothes. Just the thought of it wrenched his heart. He waited until he was sure that he heard the ending chorus of applause for the 'Lady of the West' before he walked in.

The last time he had seen Rin as the 'Lady of the West' she was barely covered with white feather boas. He had felt both deep sadness and disgust to know that his own daughter had fallen so far as to become a stripper. Now, the feeling of guilt welled up within him as well. She had been doing this for him. Rin had single-handedly tried to infiltrate Naraku's mob and was trying to gather evidence to take him down.

_If only I had found her sooner, if only I could tell her I was already collecting evidence, if she only knew that I am alive…_

The blame ripped through him. He couldn't leave his baby in harms way. He had been trying to keep her safe, and instead of being protected from Naraku and his goons, she had willingly thrown herself into their clutches. Just knowing that she was in danger hurt, knowing that she had willingly destroyed her own innocence in order to avenge him made the pain stab even deeper. No father should ever have to see their daughter defiled in such a way.

He had always been upset at the relationship that Sesshoumaru and Rin had had. He knew that they were far from innocent in their amorous relations and he was furious that the dog demon had yet to marry his daughter. But now that all seemed to pale in comparison to the fact that Rin was in danger, a danger he had an unknowing hand in causing.

He walked into the smoke-clad room and found the taiyoukai pacing in front of a door that said, 'Employees Only.'

His emotions diverged when he saw Sesshoumaru. Part of him was glad that the dog demon was there and could probably keep Rin out of danger. The other part of him was incensed that Sesshoumaru had never bothered to get her out of the Seventh Heaven when he had had the chance.

Takeshi stormed up to the silver-haired demon, his face full of fury. "I told you weeks ago that Rin was here. Why in the hell didn't you get her out of this shithole back then?"

The demon stepped back and lazily quirked a brow. "Who are you?" he murmured as he sniffed the air and tried to match the man's scent. Cologne and smoke wrapped around the man, making it difficult to discern the stranger's fundamental smell. However, the taiyoukai's nose was sharp.

"Higurashi-san?" said Sesshoumaru in muted astonishment. The dog demon actually had the alacrity to step back. He had already felt the burden and blame for letting Rin continue to strip. Unfortunately, there was simply no reasoning with the girl. The Higurashis were a stubborn lot.

He paused as he looked at the man he used to know, the man whose funeral he had attended, the very man Rin was determined to avenge.

"You!" accused the dog demon. "You were the one who called me! You wanted to meet me here."

The police detective didn't seem to be backing down; his face was still seething. "Yes, of course it was me! When I finally found my daughter in this hellhole, stripping… I had to do something. I figured that you'd take care of things immediately. Why in the hell is she still here?"

Takeshi was as angry as he was confused. He knew that dog demons were possessive. He had assumed that Sesshoumaru would have simply stormed into the club and ripped Rin off the stage. Then he was hoping that the dog demon would have not only forbid her from working there again, but would trail her everywhere that she went. Apparently, Sesshoumaru was not the man he thought he was.

The taiyoukai's icy exterior glared down at the shorter man. Both men were incensed and neither seemed to be backing down.

Sesshoumaru started to move toward the detective. He didn't even notice a ghostly figure of a girl wafting on by him.

Kanna's aura and scent were always masked; no demon could ever discern her. She glided on past the arguing men and silently opened the door to the staff room.

Anger surged within Sesshoumaru. However, his glacial facial expression didn't change; it only intensified. His visage was cold and menacing. It was only the knowledge that the man in front of him was Rin's father that kept him from making an example of the human.

Frosty words escaped his mouth. "Who are you to judge me? You left your family broken with your death! I lost Rin because of you! She believed that Naraku killed you! It was because of you that she left me and took this damnable job."

Sesshoumaru's lip twitched in an angry grimace. His eyes narrowed as the middle-aged man before him stepped back as if punched in the stomach.

Takeshi's eyes fell to the floor in guilty dejection. The fire that had raged within him blew out like a candle.

"I…I never knew. I was only trying to protect my family. If Naraku knew that I was alive, he would have used them as bait." Haunted, brown eyes looked up at the dog demon. "Everything I did, I did it for my family. All I ever wanted to do was to protect them."

"Hn," responded Sesshoumaru. An impassive façade crept onto his features again as his rage cooled. "We will talk more later. It is not safe to continue this talk here." The demon's eyes roamed over to where the mob boss in question was sitting. He was surprised to find that one of the cadre sitting next to the dark hanyou was winking at him and licking his lips. Sesshoumaru did not respond and pointedly ignored the effeminate man wearing lipstick who was blowing kisses in his direction. "I will get Rin. She's taking too long. We can meet up at my office. I know it is secure."

Takeshi nodded and rocked on his heels in an agitated manner. He seemed to be trying to keep himself from glaring at the demon before him.

Ignoring the astonished stares of the patrons of the club and the women who were undressing, Sesshoumaru walked into the dressing room of the Seventh Heaven.

* * *

Indolent beams of white-yellow light streamed into the dorm room, past the gossamer curtains. The luminosity fell upon the nude couple that was tangled together under the blankets. Inuyasha was starting to rouse, and his eyes flickered to adjust to the brightness of the morning. The hanyou looked down to see Kagome's head lying on his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed that it was his masculine abdomen that she was resting upon and not a pair of boobs.

Knowing that just hours before he would have been looking at his feminine form had him looking angrily at the bracelet that he had thrown across the floor last night. Then, a devious thought crossed his mind. _What would Sesshoumaru look like as a girl?_ He chuckled to himself. Unfortunately, his movements, as small as they were, roused Kagome from her sleeping spot.

"Hummm," she murmured sleepily.

Inuyasha gently caressed the ebony strands that were splayed across his chest. "Morning," he whispered while he continued to stroke her hair absentmindedly. He felt mysteriously content and lethargic, even lazy.

The girl in his arms turned to face him with a small smile of her own gracing her features.

He paused to look at her flushed face, sleep tousled hair and nude form pressed against his own. For perhaps the first time, they were lying together as man and woman, yin and yang, two halves to a whole—and he reveled in it.

Kagome looked at him curiously as she noticed the content smile that lingered on his lips. Her fingers traced his mouth while a glimmer of a smile played upon hers as well.

"I remember…I remember the first time I ever saw you," she whispered with reverence as her hand lingered against his mouth before finding a long strand of silver hair to twirl between her fingers.

"Ummm…hummm," he replied. It was so wonderfully soothing to lay here with her in his arms, knowing that his secret had been revealed and that she had inexplicably known nearly the entire time that he was really a guy. Part of him was still a little upset that she had kept that piece of information from him, but he found that he couldn't stay angry for long. He had managed to make the girl doubt her own sexual identity and had at one point made the poor miko think she was in love with another girl. He supposed that he could be a little forgiving due to the circumstances.

"You had arrived at our home on the shrine grounds for the first time. Your mother was meeting my mother for a formal tea at our home. You were…you were…" Kagome added as her voice trailed away.

Her unfinished sentence drew him out of his reverie and into the present. "I was what?" Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome twisted in his arms to get out of his grasp and looked him square in the eye. "You were a breathtaking jerk!" she accused as her finger pointed squarely at his chest.

Inuyasha huffed in mock indignation. "What do you mean I was a jerk?" he asked as he gathered her hand in his and playfully popped one of her fingers into his mouth.

"You wouldn't even talk to me. You ignored me like I was…like I was beneath you," the girl muttered as she watched his eyes glint with mischievousness. "And I was so entranced. The moment I saw you I was simply lost. You were the most gorgeous thing that I had ever seen."

Inuyasha sucked on her finger and drew it deeper into his mouth before popping it back out. The girl next to him shivered, but she didn't appear to be cold. He pulled her body flush against his, and she noticed the telltale evidence of his desire pressing hard against her thigh. The hanyou seemed to be trying to find his words. "I wasn't talking to you, because I couldn't," Inuyasha muttered as he pulled her tight within his arms. "Every single fucking time I was around you, I started to stutter. I was so damned angry."

Kagome flinched, and Inuyasha stopped to squeeze her again. "I wasn't angry at you, wench. I was angry at myself."

Kagome looked at him with a quirked brow and a disbelieving smirk.

"OK, yeah. Maybe I was a little angry at you. I wanted to talk to you. Hell, I wanted to do more than that. But I couldn't even get a word out without sounding like a complete moron. And then, you'd just sashay around me in your cute little school skirt, showing off your long legs, and I was smelling your scent, which still makes my head spin, and I couldn't fucking even think or speak. I was so damned frustrated."

Kagome blinked in astonishment. "You mean you didn't talk to me because you were stuttering?"

Inuyasha looked away and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Feh…"

"You liked me?" Kagome asked incredulously.

The hanyou looked down at her with blazingly golden eyes. "_Like_ isn't a strong enough word, Ka-go-me."

The girl in his arms shook her head. "I thought you hated me!"

"Hate?" asked Inuyasha as he continued to glare at her. "Fuck, I wanted you so bad. I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. I needed you and I couldn't even get a word out around you. It seemed that everything was hopeless. I couldn't get close to you, and some other guy was bound to nab you sooner or later. I was on the fucking edge almost every single day."

The miko's eyes widened. "Inuyasha…Are you still on the edge?" she asked as her mocha eyes peered into his golden ones.

Inuyasha sighed as if in defeat and drew Kagome even closer to him, snuggling her into his chest. "Wench…I…I've been living on the fucking edge since I met you…I…fuck…I never knew what to do…I wanted you badly and I was so frustrated that I…"

Kagome looked up at him in confusion. "That you did what Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked a little sheepish as he avoided her eyes and mumbled into his chest. "That I might have gotten into lots of fights…that I might have been kicked out of a few schools…"

The miko looked astonished. "You really were kicked out of some schools. When you said as Shaya that you had…"

Inuyasha stopped her line of thought. "I was drawn so fucking tight that I thought I was going to break. I was forcing myself to stay away from you, 'cause I couldn't even talk around you…I couldn't even be a man around you. So I…" His eyes drew up from his chest to look squarely at Kagome's surprised eyes again. "So I caused a lot of problems…so many in fact that even my parents decided to punish me."

She tilted her head to the side as if in question. "And that was why you were stuck looking like a girl?"

The hanyou laughed, but his voice held no humor. One of his hands raked through his hair. "Yeah, as you know now, my asshole brother was the one who cursed me. But, he couldn't have done that if my parents didn't approve. The bastard told us that he would leave it on us for an entire year. "

Kagome's eyes widened in horror. "An entire year…stuck looking like a girl?"

"Yeah, the prick thought it would teach us a lesson." Inuyasha paused as a smug grin crossed his features. "What the bastard forgot was that the bracelets were powered by demonic youki. So, on the night of the new moon, when I turn human…"

"That was when I saw you as you really were for the first time. That's why it happened? The bracelet stopped working with your demonic aura gone and you were able to take it off?"

Inuyasha smirked back at Kagome and chuckled. "Kouga is still stuck looking like a girl, though. He can't get his damned bracelet off."

Kagome almost sniggered as she moved closer to Inuyasha. Her fingers traced a pattern on his bare chest, and her lips curved into a subtle grin. "Little did you know when this all began that you and Kouga would be the hottest girls that Shikon High has ever seen."

Inuyasha pursed his lips. He seemed to find no humor in the situation. "How in the fuck would you feel if you were made to look and sound like the opposite sex and then you were forced to live in the same room as the very person you had a fucking crush on?"

The girl in his arms seemed properly chastised as she looked away. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. If I were stuck looking like a boy and had to share a room with you, I would probably go crazy."

The hanyou holding her in his arms snorted. "That's not even half of it. The first fucking night I spent the night in your room, you had to…"

Kagome's face twisted in confusion as she tried to recall the very night. "What did I do?"

Inuyasha raised a black eyebrow as he stared at her. "What did you do? You fucking teased me mercilessly from the very get go!"

The miko stared up with guileless eyes. "I did?"

"Every damned night, you'd take off your clothes and ask me stuff, like if your butt was too big. Then you'd shake your ass at me and squeeze it. You were such a tease."

Kagome blushed. She seemed to find the futon comforter to be very interesting as she picked at it. "I didn't mean to…"

Inuyasha took her chin in his hand and stared down at her startled face. "Didn't mean to, wench? What in the fuck do you call what you did last night?"

The miko huffed and bit her lips. "Fine. Now, I honestly was not trying to tease you at the beginning. But when I found out that you were really a guy and that you were staying in my room, I was really angry."

"Hey wench, it wasn't my fault. My brother set this all up. I didn't know."

Kagome quirked a brow at her erstwhile boyfriend. "Maybe you didn't know, but why didn't you change rooms when you found out I would be your roommate? You could have roomed with Kouga."

The hanyou looked astonished. "I um…I was afraid that if we changed rooms that Kouga would be able to sneak even more peeks at you."

Inuyasha chanced a glance at the girl he hoped would be his mate and found her fuming. He waved his hands in supplication. "What do you expect, wench? That wolf is a fucking letch. I had to protect you and… And, I finally had the girl I always wanted. Even if I couldn't talk to her, she was with me all the time. It was like…" He took Kagome's chin in his again and forced her widened eyes to look at him. "It was like we were boyfriend and girlfriend. You held my hand; you spent time with me. How could I give that up?"

The miko's eyes watered as the hanyou guided her lips to press against his. "I love you, Kagome," he whispered before his mouth found hers.

The second time they joined, it was slow and gentle. He pressed into her with deep, languid strokes before the girl fell apart underneath him. As her warmth quivered around him, he released and followed her into divine oblivion.

His breath was labored and his eyes tried to focus when they were done. Each time, it seemed like his body had died, gone to heaven and then was mysteriously brought back to earth.

With satisfied longing, both Inuyasha and Kagome lied side by side in their dorm room, ignoring the outside world. Unfortunately, it always had a way of bursting in unannounced.

Inuyasha had been twirling a segment of raven hair in his fingers when he heard knocking on his dorm room door.

It only took a single sniff for the hanyou to ascertain who was on the other side.

"Oi! What the fuck do you want, Kori?" asked Inuyasha as he continued to stroke Kagome's hair.

"I need some help from Kagome. Open up, dammit!" yelled Kori as she continued to pound on the door.

Inuyasha cursed as he grudgingly pulled himself off of his futon and then helped Kagome get up. He kissed her briefly on the lips before whispering to her. "Get some clothes on. I don't want wolf-shit sneaking another peek at you." Kagome blushed as she moved her unsteady body toward her closet.

"I heard that!" bellowed Kori.

Kagome managed to throw on her school uniform, while Inuyasha made his way to his dresser and pulled out his one and only pair of masculine underwear. Then he tugged on his favorite, baggy red sweatpants. He decided to forgo any shirt this morning. He wanted to remind Kagome how very male he really was and if he could taunt Kouga with his true form, then all the better.

"Yeah, what do you need?" asked Inuyasha as he opened the door and looked at the equally miffed Kori who seemed poised to bang on the door again.

Kori's delicate nose sniffed the air before rolling her eyes. She walked in wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt that did nothing to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. The wolf demoness slammed the door behind her and sat down on Inuyasha's chair.

She looked at the two of them pointedly before she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Inuyasha took the time to pull Kagome protectively against him, her back against his bare chest and his arms encircling her waist.

Kori pursed her lips in agitation. "Why in the fuck do you get to end up looking like a guy and you get your girl? But me…?" Kori threw her arms wide as her voice rose in a girlish pitch. "I'm stuck looking like a girl and the woman I want more than anything thinks I'm just a female…" Kori pulled out her hands to make air quotes. "Friend." She concluded her speech with a tone of disgust.

Kagome's face was filled with empathy as she stared at her obviously agitated dormmate. "What can we do to help you…uh…Kouga?"

Kouga's lips chanced a subtle smile at the mention of his true name. Then a frown graced the beautiful demoness' features as she twisted the pearlescent bracelet around her delicate wrist. The girl sitting in the chair waved his arm at Kagome, motioning to the jewelry that was steadfastly secured to his arm. "Please!" he pleaded. "Kagome. You have got to get this piece of shit off of me before I go crazy! It's fucking torture to have a man's instincts and not ever be able to act on them. Use your miko powers. We figured out that it is powered by demonic youki. Maybe you can counteract it somehow and get this off of me!" Blue eyes laced with long black lashes beseeched Kagome.

The miko walked toward her dormmate and held the wrist that bore the cursed item. The shimmery pearls of the bracelet glittered in the sunlight as she gazed at it. Then her eyes shifted in concentration as her powers gently washed over them.

Then the wolf demoness shivered. "What…what the fuck did you do, Kagome?" Kori's eyes narrowed, and her leg started to twitch with nervousness.

Kagome was a little surprised to see Kouga's reaction to her miko's energy. Inuyasha found the energy to be stimulating, but perhaps that was because he was both human and demon. His interaction with her aura was probably unique.

Kouga looked uneasy, like the very miko he had asked for help was bathing him in kryptonite.

The miko chanced a smile at Kouga. She noticed that he was very handsome for a demon. His dark coloring, cerulean blue eyes, and lean, muscular form would normally be extremely enticing. She could see why he missed having women react to him. But despite the fact that he was gorgeous, she only had eyes for a certain silver-haired, golden-eyed hanyou. "I was using my reiki energy to see past the concealment charm and to also see how much power is contained within this bracelet."

The wolf demon masked his unease once he knew why he had felt so jumpy. "And?" prompted Kouga, his tenor voice now sounded clear of girlish quirks—at least to Kagome.

The miko's eyes furrowed in puzzlement. "Remember that I am only a high school student and not a fully trained miko. But your bracelet is pulling off its energy directly from your body. I can see it literally siphoning off your youki energy, centering on your bracelet. I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? What do you mean sorry?"

"I'm sorry that the means to power the bracelet is coming directly from you. And the only way to stop the flow, is to stop your own demonic power…"

"Which would…what?" asked Kouga perplexed.

"Um…that would probably kill you Kouga," answered Kagome with a concerned frown.

"No!" The demon next to her shuddered in panic. "No, please. Try anything! I'm willing to risk you frying my own skin if you can only make me a man again."

"But Kouga…" the miko reasoned.

"Zap me, please Kagome. I would prefer to be human to being less than a man. Dammit, please!"

"You don't know what you are asking, Kouga," exclaimed Kagome in exasperation.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and scratched his toned abdomen. He smirked at Kori who was glaring at him with barely disguised jealously. He sauntered up to his girlfriend, put his arms around her waist again and nibbled on her ear. She shivered deliciously against his body as he whispered to her. Of course, even his soft voice could be heard by his fellow demon. "Just give him a little miko zap, not enough to hurt him, just enough to warn him of what it feels like." Inuyasha grinned.

Kagome didn't look convinced and Kouga continued to plead with his eyes. She sighed and looked the wolf demon squarely in the eye. "This is going to hurt Kouga, and I'm only going to give you a small dose of how much I can dish out."

The demon in question pulled out his arm and motioned for her to place both of her hands on the bracelet. "Just focus your powers on this damned thing," Kouga huffed in agitation.

The miko bit her lip as she concentrated on the object, focusing a fraction of her powers upon the cursed item. The hair all over Kouga's body rose as if he had been exposed to continuous static electricity. Even the hair contained in his ponytail wavered in the air, seeming to defy gravity.

The man in question only gritted his teeth, as he tried to not scream in agony. His arm twitched in pain, his chest shook in spasms and his eyes started to roll back.

Kagome looked horrified as she ripped her hands away from Kouga. No friend of hers should ever face such torture.

The boy's chest heaved violently and cold sweat beaded over his form. He tried to catch his breath, while a look of utter defeat seeped into his features, making his bright blue eyes turn hazy with despair.

Just as Kagome was about to try to comfort her friend, a shuddering banging was heard at the door of their apartment.

"Who?" muttered Kagome in astonishment.

"That bastard! What the hell is he doing here?" called out Inuyasha as his eyes narrowed in anger.

Kouga merely lifted an eyebrow in surprise. He was still hurting from having only a small portion of Kagome's purification abilities poured over his skin. All he could do was to sit limply in his chair.

"I don't understand," murmured the miko as she looked questioningly at her boyfriend. Inuyasha huffed in agitation.

She didn't have too long to wonder. Within seconds she heard the front door sizzle and then crack. Then their dorm room door heaved open.

On the other side was Sesshoumaru. Kagome gaped in astonishment. The ever-cool dog demon looked almost maniacal as his honeyed eyes flickered with strains of red and the claws of his hands dripped green poison onto the floor. Her eyes trailed behind the austere demon to see a path of destruction. Their front door was rent into a mass of burnt wood and splinters and the tatami mats were speckled with sizzling black spots. Under his dripping fingernails, a widening pool of black continued to hiss.

"Where is she?" asked the dog demon. "Where is Rin?"

"What? My sister? What do you mean?" Kagome's gaze wavered back and forth between the two brothers. She paused, but Inuyasha could tell that panic was starting to lace her voice. "The last I saw her was at the club. Is she all right? What has happened to Rin?"

Sesshoumaru was about to speak when they heard the squawks of Mrs. Tsubaki from down the hallway. "Don't you dare go into a girl's dorm room! I don't care if you are on a first name basis with Kaede-sama. It's just not done."

For the first time the older demon seem to realize that his younger brother was free of the bracelet's gender-changing curse. "You better put your bracelet back on or hide in the closet," ordered his older brother.

"No fucking way!" yelled Inuyasha as he moved right in front of his brother. Blocking his way into the room.

"If you do not, Shaya will be kicked out of the dorms Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was too angry to even consider that Sesshoumaru might actually have a valid point. Tsubaki's screaming voice was seconds away. But the hanyou wasn't about to budge.

"There's no fucking way I'll ever look and sound like a…"

Inuyasha felt a piece of jewelry being slipped onto his wrist and he uttered the rest of his sentence. But this time he said it with a high-pitched girlish squeak. "…girl again!"

The hanyou's eyes widened to look at his wrist as the cursed bracelet that he had tried for weeks to remove was back on his arm. Even more horrifying were the large, naked breasts that were hanging off his chest. "No!" he screamed. Inuyasha turned to try to find out who had placed the offending piece of jewelry on his wrist. He was expecting to blame his bastard brother for the prank, but instead it was his own girlfriend.

Kagome's fingers held his hand, and she look up at him beseechingly. "I just don't want them to expel you from another school, Inuyasha."

The hanyou tried to tug the bracelet off of his wrist, but it wouldn't budge. "Fuck!" he yelled and was startled to hear his own feminine voice. Kagome could only look on with confusion, wondering why he was having such a hard time with a bracelet that he tore off his wrist just the night before.

Kori only grinned in amusement and started to guffaw.

It was about the same time that the resident dorm mother, Mrs. Tsubaki, managed to storm into the room. Her eyes widened as she saw Sesshoumaru next to the nearly naked Shaya. "Girl, get a top on!" she yelled. Abruptly, she turned to scream at the dog demon that only looked at her passively. "And you…you pervert. How dare you go around breaking into a girl's dorm to blatantly ogle the young women here?"

The angered stare that met Tsubaki made her retreat against the nearest wall. Sesshoumaru was soon centimeters away from the woman, his eyes cold and his claws still dripping poison onto the straw floor. Hissing drops continued to ooze from his fingers and small whiffs of acidic smoke drifted into the air.

Kagome quickly moved to grab a large sweatshirt that she pulled over her boyfriend's suddenly feminine torso. Luckily, she had seen it enough to not even be fazed by his quick transformation. Inuyasha on the other hand wore a look of utter horror.

The dog demon didn't need to yell. His icy voice and reddened stare threatened violence. "Shaya is my sister. So don't even accuse me of ogling her. My fiancé is missing, and I need to question Kagome and Shaya as to her whereabouts. You are more than welcome to chaperone my questioning. But, you are not to interfere again!" He let his words hang in the air as the sizzling tatami mats continued to hiss.

Tsubaki gulped as she slid down onto the floor, her back pressed against the wooden wall.

The dog demon turned swiftly to face his brother's girlfriend. "Now Kagome, when did you last see Rin?"

"Um…." The miko seemed to have trouble forming her words, her dorm room was a wreck and the resident dorm mother was also listening. "When I saw you and Rin together at the...uh…club. You were kissing." Then her voice rose in both volume and panic. "I haven't seen her since. She was with you. How could this happen?"

The dog demon only clenched his nails into his palms, as more poison started to drip onto the floor.

The entire conversation seemed to be at a standstill until Kori's puzzled voice interrupted. "Wait a second. Last night at the club, I saw a girl that smelled like Kagome. She was, uh…really petit, brown hair and was wearing a silver bikini. Nice body…"

Sesshoumaru growled, but the wolf demon seemed unfazed.

"The only reason why I am remember her is that her van nearly ran us over."

Sesshoumaru repeated the word in question. "Van?"

Kori kicked back in her seat, clearly enjoying the situation now that Sesshoumaru was puzzled, and Inuyasha was a girl again.

"Yeah. That chick. The one who smelled like Kagome. She was knocked out like she was drunk. One of the bouncers from the club was pulling her out of the joint and put her in a van. The same van then nearly ran over Ayame and me. Asshole driver."

"Unconscious?" questioned the dog demon. "Where did they take her?"

Kori merely shrugged. "Hell, if I know. I didn't stay to watch where they were going."

Suddenly a reverberating chime sounded from the cell phone in Sesshoumaru's pocket. The dog demon looked nearly astonished as he read the caller ID. "Rin!" he barked as he answered the phone.

A harsh sounding masculine laugh echoed. "No, Rin is not available to talk right now. But you, your brother and that wolf demon who trashed my property need to meet with me at the Western-most Takeshima island tonight at 8PM. Otherwise, I am afraid that Rin might not see another sunrise." The line suddenly hissed dead.

Sesshoumaru furiously tried to call back, but was only sent into voicemail.

"Where is Takeshima?" asked Kagome.

Sesshoumaru responded with an uncharacteristic waver to his voice. "It's a disputed isle between Japan and South Korea. If we leave right now, we will barely get there in time."

With that, the dog demon walked imperiously out the fractured door before Kagome followed him. "You can't possibly leave to get my sister and not expect me to come along!"

"Oi! Wench!" cried out Shaya. "You're not going anywhere without me!" The dazed hanyou quickly shuffled to his closet to pull out his Tessaiga and his father's old firerat robe. "And where the hell do you think you're going without your bow?"

The flustered girl returned to the room to grab her gym bag that contained her miko robes, bow and quiver of arrows.

Kori simply sat passively surveying the activity in the room with detachment.

"Get up," ordered Sesshoumaru as he glared at the wolf demoness.

The girl simply looked at her bright pink fingernails. "No, I was thinking about getting my nails done," added the demoness mutinously.

"You will arrive in a body bag or by foot. It's your choice," threatened the dog demon.

Kagome quickly ran to intercept the rapidly accelerating argument. "I think…" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, but Kagome stood firmly in front of him and tried to diffuse the situation. "I think all Kori is saying is that it was Kouga that Naraku requested, as well as Inuyasha. Correct? So why would these two girls even need to be there?"

Domineering eyes looked down at her fiercely before Sesshoumaru turned to walk out the door. When he reached the doorframe he paused as if carefully considering his next words. "The miko is correct. Inuyasha and Kouga will need to be there. Shaya and Kori, come with me for now. We will make sure that your brothers arrive with me at the island."

"Oh, fuck yes!" hooted Kori as she sashayed forward.

Shaya only quirked a brow at Kagome. The miko's small hand reached out for the hanyou's clawed one as they followed Sesshoumaru and Kori out of the building.

In their wake was the still mortified Tsubaki who sat with absolute stillness against the dorm room wall. Surrounding her were hissing pools of black poison still burning the tatami mat floors.

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Reviews are almost as good as finally getting to read a real Inuyasha and Kagome lemon in 'He's My Girl.'

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_**Next Chapter:**__ We are rapidly moving toward the final arc of this story. Buckle down; it's going to be a rough ride from here on out… _

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: No, we're not exactly sure how many chapters are left, but we are nearing the end…_

_#2: Ai and Karaumea would like to thank everyone who voted for 'He's My Girl' in the Inuyasha Fan Guild, where it won First Place for 'Best Inuyasha/Kagome Romance.' However, neither of us can fully understand how we won against such awesome authors. Ai and Karaumea humbly bow to Quillwing717 and KnittingKnots. We still do not comprehend how this happened when we were running against such greatness. So readers, go check out their fan ficts as well, you won't be disappointed!_

_#3: SplendentGoddess once asked us how Kagome was going to react when she found out the truth about Inuyasha. Was Kagome going to run away screaming, swearing that she would never talk to Inuyasha again? We laughed and told her that this is a comedy, not a piece of angsty fiction. And having Kagome run away screaming simply is __not__ funny. However, having Kagome tease Inuyasha mercilessly with sex, while he tries to fend her off because he thinks Kagome is a lesbian is (in our opinion) __very__ funny! So why do we do what we do in this fict? Well, we do what we think is funny and what we think will get the most laughs. Now we are entering a big fighting segment of the story, that part won't be very funny and we apologize, but every story needs its adrenaline pumping fight scenes (as well as a few lovely lemons). This story will be no exception._

_#4: If you were wondering why birth control was not mentioned in this chapter (since Ai is a stickler for such details), it was because Kagome had told Shaya back in chapter 7 that she was already on the pill and our two participants were both virgins._

_#5: The soundtrack to this chapter's lemon was: Sting: 'Inside,' Scorpions: 'Tease Me, Please Me,' Cascada: 'Everytime We Touch,' Goo Goo Dolls: 'Let Love In,' 'Iris' and 'Naked.'_

_#6: OK, a quick word on having sex the first time. This lemon was not realistic, in that having two virgins going at it would rarely have the girl experiencing an orgasm. But since this is fiction, we just categorically decided that Inuyasha had instincts (and had previous encounters with Kagome as her lesbian girlfriend) that enabled him to perform much better than the average male. And though some women have experienced a hellish first time with blood and pain, most women we have talked to only found it to be a little tight the first time. Both the authors would recommend holding off until you are old enough to understand the consequences of a sexual experience and to not expect your first time to be anything like what you read about in fan fiction. The best sex seems to come with age, genuine love and experience. Oh and the most important aspect of sex is always love—never underestimate it._


	19. Takeshima Island

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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_There is going to be a little humor in this chapter and then things are going to get serious and violent very quickly._

_**Warnings:** Foul language and plenty of violence._

_Special thanks to our awesome beta: SplendentGoddess_

_Written by Ai Kisugi with plotting and editing by Karaumea

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**Chapter 19: Takeshima Island**

Lingering fog banks obscured two vague shapes that flew through the air. One figure was that of a man floating on a cloud. He had long silvery hair, a formal kimono and a long billowing white fur that trailed behind him. Dangling on the fur was a beautiful woman with a dark complexion.

The other figure that had taken flight was a strange looking double-headed dragon. The beast had a muzzle on each mouth, and a young man with matching silver hair and dog-like ears held the creatures' reigns. He was wearing red robes and had a battered sword secured to his waist. Behind him was a miko with long raven black hair, with a bow and quiver on her back.

The miko gestured to the other 'couple' that was flying alongside of them. "Sesshoumaru-sama seems very uncomfortable."

The hanyou in front of her laughed. "Well, that's his fault, isn't it? Maybe he should have thought about freeing Kouga of that cursed bracelet before they left."

The miko smiled into his shoulder and squeezed the man she loved.

Sesshoumaru was beyond irritated. He had wanted to teach Kouga a lesson. The insolent wolf demon had refused his initial request to join them in his search to rescue Rin. Furthermore, it was partially Kouga's fault that Rin was in this situation to begin with. If Kouga had stopped the kidnapper who had been carrying his precious Rin from the Seventh Heaven, none of this would have happened. The wolf was obviously a coward and didn't deserve to be a man any longer than he needed to be.

Of course, he hadn't anticipated Kouga's reaction to flying with him. That guy was far too comfortable with playing the role of a female.

"What do you think, Sesshy?" asked the wolf demoness that was dangling from his 'mokomoko-sama' fur. The girl twisted to show her backside to the dog demon before she squeezed her rear end. "Do you think my butt is too big?"

Sesshoumaru tried not to growl.

Kori freed one hand from the fur she was holding onto and squeezed one of her breasts through the thin white t-shirt. "But, I think my boobs are just the right size. They fit so nicely in my hand."

"Quiet!" bellowed the dog demon.

The girl swinging from the long dangling white fur just smirked. She managed to pull herself closer to the dog demon. "Do I smell good?" she crooned.

Involuntarily, Sesshoumaru drew in a breath. Wolf demons never smelled good to his kind, but any female of the canine species had a certain allure to other male dog demons. Kori didn't smell nearly as good as Rin did; Sesshoumaru thanked the Kami for that small favor. However, the boy teenager turned female did have a nice feminine fragrance, and that in itself was highly annoying.

"Oh, your white fur is so pretty!" exclaimed Kori right as the dog demon felt the familiar feeling of someone stroking his mokomoko. The only person who was allowed that small pleasure was Rin and certainly not a tiresome wolf.

"Why, you insolent…" he hissed as he tried to pull his dangling fur away from the exasperating wolf demoness. However, the action had the unfortunate side effect of pulling Kori even closer to him. She simply smirked at him and puckered her lips.

Sesshoumaru's mouth shut closed instantly.

The dog demon dropped his precious mokomoko in disgust. Kori was again swaying underneath him, holding fast onto his white fur.

"You will stop your incessant chatter, wolf!" ordered Sesshoumaru.

The girl who was suspended underneath him started to laugh. "There's only one way you can get me to shut up, Sesshy, and it ain't with a kiss!" Kori bent over in riotous laughter as the stoic dog demon tried to keep his carefully controlled countenance as emotionless as possible.

The awkward situation was broken by the steady beat of a ringtone that incessantly reverberated from Sesshoumaru's belt.

The dog demon seemed to know who was on the line without looking at the caller ID. "Are you on your way?" he muttered to his phone. "Good. We should arrive in twenty minutes." He paused. "Of course I will. Rin is everything to…" Sesshoumaru paused again to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yes, understood. She will be safe. You have my guarantee."

The fearsome demon was about to say something else into his phone when Kori made another appearance. She had somehow managed to swing up onto his back and began to talk breathlessly into his phone. "Who's that, Sesshy-baby? I'll get so jealous if it's another woman."

"No!" The dog demon actually looked flustered as the voice on the other end took on an accusatory tone. "That was Kouga….yes, I am sure it was Kouga…because he still has the bracelet on... I should…? Yes, sir. Good day."

Sesshoumaru snapped his cell phone shut and tried to put it back in his pocket. Unfortunately, the wolf demoness grabbed the cell from his hands. Before he knew it, the girl had put her cheek to his and yelled, "Cheese!"

With a quick flash, his angered face was immortalized next to the flirtatious Kori whose mischievous blue eyes gleamed with merriment. She was then rapidly hitting some buttons on his cell. "Oh, I think I know of a few people who would love a copy of this!"

"Give. It. Back. Now!" demanded the dog demon. His golden eyes started to shift to red and the purple lines that adorned his cheek seemed to expand and widen.

However, Kori either didn't see his anger or was simply choosing to ignore it. "There we go. Your Mom and Dad got a copy, so did Inuyasha and me…oh, and Kaede!" The girl sighed as if she was hopelessly infatuated as she batted her eyes at the dog demon. "I'll be sure to add it to my Facebook page! We look so cute together!"

Sesshoumaru ripped the cell out of her hands, nearly managing to break the fragile equipment in the process. "Am I to understand that the only way to keep you from bothering me is to remove that bracelet?"

Kori turned a flirtatious eye at Sesshoumaru. "Why Sesshy, it's the only way. Otherwise, I think I'll have to take off my top and I'll..."

The wolf demoness couldn't even finish her sentence. Sesshoumaru had already ripped the bracelet off of her wrist. Suddenly the image of the buxom dark-haired beauty shimmered and changed into a very handsome young man with cerulean eyes and a tight white t-shirt stretched across his well-defined chest.

"YES!" he screamed as he flexed his arms, looking at the way his muscles moved under his skin before he pulled at his jeans and took a peek inside. A wide grin stretched across his face. "Hello, big boy! I missed the sight of you!" Letting go of his crotch, Kouga lunged for the dog demon's pocket. "Damn, I need your cell!" he demanded.

For a brief second Sesshoumaru had an unwanted vision of Kouga sticking the phone into his jeans to take a picture of his 'big boy.' He was about to object. However, the wolf grabbed the cell phone again, even though Sesshoumaru tried to keep him out of his pockets.

Much to the dog demon's relief, the boy's hand stayed away from his groin as he took a picture of his face and then stared at the result with a look of dreamy satisfaction. "Where have you been, handsome?"

"Talking to yourself is a sure sign of mental instability," intoned Sesshoumaru, who had finally given up on his cell phone.

Kouga hadn't heard the pointed remark. He was simply running his finger over the digital image of his smiling face.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the wolf demon grinned and took various photos of himself while dangling from his mokomoko.

"Vainglorious narcissist," the taiyoukai muttered as he sped up. He quickly decided that spending any more time with the troublemaking wolf than was absolutely necessary would be detrimental to his mental health. Once Rin was rescued, that wolf demon better stay at least one hundred kilometers away from him at any given moment. Otherwise…

Sesshoumaru's claws oozed green vapors and dripped poison.

His icy golden eyes narrowed. It was best for him to take his anger out on Naraku and the people who had kidnapped Rin—not the loathsome wolf. He was going to bring her home last night. She had finally acceded to his wishes to keep her safe. And then, Naraku had to interfere!

It wasn't enough that the bastard had been the sole focus of Rin's solitary criminal investigation, the very same investigation that had kept them apart for two infuriating years. It wasn't enough that the crime boss had put a price on his sibling's head necessitating the bothersome need to hide both Inuyasha and Kouga. Naraku had upped the ante when he had kidnapped Rin and had threatened to kill her.

Now, it was personal. Rin was his and his alone. Anyone who threatened her was threatening Sesshoumaru.

Naraku had threatened that Rin might not survive the coming sunset. But, that wouldn't be the case—it would be Naraku who would not live. Tonight's blood-red sky would be the last one he would ever see.

Gradually the misty dark blue of the sea gave way to charcoal grey and darkened green. He could easily determine the steep, darkened mountains of the western-most Takashima Island that peeked out like shadowed fingers from the misty white below.

Encrusted upon the jagged inclines were green foliage and a lingering mist. There was a sharp delineation between where the sea ended and the sharp peaks of the island began. The only separation was a narrow, rocky shore, only wide enough for one man to stand.

Sesshoumaru tried to calculate the best defensible position to land. He could try to take the fog-enshrouded seashore, which did not give them much room to move yet obscured them from view. Or, he could land on the top of the mountain, which would be easier to defend but would leave them wide open to attack from the covering mists that hung below.

It only took him a second to decide. He was the prince of the dog demon clan, not a coward. They would land on top of the mountains. He would attack from above, and his sense of smell could detect anything below, fog or no fog.

Before he had even landed, the wolf demon had already jumped onto the mountain peak. The imbecile was still grinning, patting his body down with satisfaction.

'Ah-Un,' his two-headed dragon, swiftly followed him to the landing site. Inuyasha and Kagome quickly dismounted. When the hanyou patted its flank, the two-headed monstrosity took to the sky. The miko readied her bow, and the hanyou drew his battered Tessaiga from its sheath.

The low-lying cloud, with its cold wetness, blanketed everything below like a swath of cotton. Sesshoumaru breathed in deeply to ascertain where Rin might be and whom they might be facing. The wet fog and salty sea obscured most of the scents that surrounded him; however, he could still easily discern and separate all of the discordant smells.

He sniffed and caught the faint, yet lingering scent of Rin. Her clean scent of waterfalls cascaded over his senses. She was alive! He was incredibly distracted by her fragrance and had turned to race toward it when he discovered that he really should have been focusing on the inevitable trap that Naraku had set for them.

He smelled gunpowder, water, salt and humans. He could not detect any demons or Naraku's scent.

"Inuyasha, your miko is useless here. We only face humans. Hide her and then rejoin the fight," he ordered.

"I will not…" Kagome responded while stamping her foot. She was not able to finish her sentence before Sesshoumaru smelt the acid, burning scent of gunpowder exploding and the whining noise of an over-the shoulder-rocket being launched.

"Move now!" he ordered, before he silently rose and then fell into the fog banks below.

Inuyasha quickly grabbed Kagome and held her bridal style. Then with one smooth leap, the pair of red-clad warriors ascended into the air and then disappeared into the misty-white.

The rocket whistled as it flew, then landed with a blinding explosion, full of fire and black smoke. It slammed into the top of the mountain where they had just landed.

Sesshoumaru knew that the wolf demon was fast enough to avoid the barrage; he was only worried that his half-brother would not be able to keep his miko from harm. Inuyasha was hard enough to deal with when he had not been able to obtain his mate. But now that the hanyou had bound himself to the miko, her death would make living with his brother impossible. He didn't relish his new obligation to protect both Rin and Kagome, one human was enough trouble to try to protect—two was nearly impossible. He only hoped that his brother would be able to keep the miko alive during this fight. Sesshoumaru had other things to worry about.

His senses pulled him toward the small brigade that had just loosed the motor shell. The scents spoke of five smelly mortals. His first inclination was how easily he could fell a group of weak humans. But then, another more logical side intervened. It told him to be cautious as he attempted to slaughter the motley crew that was keeping him from Rin. Something wasn't right. Something was off in the air.

The very air seemed too pure…to clean. It was as if the scent of the misty ocean and moist undergrowth was being pushed away.

He felt a gnawing sensation inside that spoke of a trap. However, he moved forward swiftly and silently. Perhaps if he could overtake them before their plans could take form, then he could quickly take Rin away.

Falling like a crashing cannonball, Sesshoumaru erupted through the foggy embankment right next to a large tank. Time seemed to slow as he squeezed the tank gun with his bare hands. Green vapors and poison oozed from his fingers, melting the muzzle like butter. The middle of the long metal tube crumpled as easily as a plastic straw. The gun began to vibrate and heat as a new firing sequence had initiated.

He easily lunged to the side just as the cannon fired another round. His expression was passionless; his lips a thin line.

The mortar shell backfired into the main compartment. The screams were brief as fire hissed past the tank hatch; throwing it open with flames trying to reach for the air above. All that was left of the tank was billowing smoke and silence.

The dog demon's eyes instantly focused on his next target: the same man he had seen at the Seventh Heaven when Rin disappeared. His eyes narrowed as he took in the feminine looking man in front of him. The freak wore the face paint of a clown, with dramatic fake tears lined in dark blue under both eyes. His pink kimono had the cut of a woman's with a green leaf pattern, a silky purple scarf and with the side of the kimono drawn up to show his leg. The effeminate man bore a sickening smile that spoke of madness and a lust for fighting. He drew a sword that looked like a scimitar and pointed it at him.

"I love your hair, sweetcakes. I think I'll chop it off for a souvenir," the cross-dressing mercenary mocked.

Sesshoumaru wasn't one to talk during battle; he simply lunged forward.

He moved past Kouga, who was fighting against two men at once. One man was a giant; he had obviously overdosed on growth hormones and steroids. His size was actually grotesque. Next to him was another man with war paint on his face and sharpened steel claws on his fingers.

The wolf demon seemed to be toying with the two men. Kouga's face bore a smirk of utter delight as he danced around his opponents like a gnat buzzing around a horse. He would hit, annoy and parry, each time leaving the duo more blood-soaked and angry than before.

The giant's huge fists swung down only to meet dirt when the wolf demon quickly jumped away. The force of the impact churned the earth as chunks of dirt flew in all directions, and a small crater was left in the ground.

While Kouga's back was facing him, the other man swiped at him with his metallic claws, but the wolf demon was too quick. Like a tornado, he jumped and spun away just in time for the man to attack his compatriot. The giant howled as his own companion's claws raked against his chest, gouging flesh and leaving behind five gashes that oozed crimson blood.

As Sesshoumaru ran past the trio, Kouga shouted, "Look, Sesshy! Who's the man now, huh?"

"You fight like a bitch," shot back the taiyoukai before he ignored the wolf demon completely. His opponents were already faltering; they wouldn't last much longer.

The dog demon attempted to slice the pink kimono-clad man in half with his claws; however, the strange scimitar leapt from the confines of the handle to fly toward him like a writhing snake.

The blade would have cut down a normal man, but Sesshoumaru was far from normal. He had never met a demon as fast as he was. With careful precision, he evaded the blade, stepping through the loops and twists of the blade as it slithered across the air. Then, the blade was taut and pulled itself back, falling back into a regular looking blade like a folding accordion. The fighter readied his scimitar again. It would be hard to get past the trick blade, but Sesshoumaru knew that his abilities were far superior to the human in front of him. The mercenary would fall quickly.

It was at that moment that the purity that had been lingering in the back of his senses exploded in rushing chaos all around him. Like a tidal wave, the onslaught of holy energy flooded into the area, crippling him and sending him to his knees.

The mercenary in front of him laughed manically. "Didn't expect that, did ya? You demons can't stand the effects of purification, can you?" The man grinned before he readied himself for another attack. "But don't worry. You're too pretty for a quick kill. I'm going to take my time with you."

* * *

Kagome was still in Inuyasha's arms when the explosion rocked the ground far behind them. She could hear the shrieking sounds of armaments going off in the distance. Inuyasha landed gracefully on the overhanging branch of a large pine tree. He gently put Kagome down beside him. Her small, zori-clad feet shuffled against the damp bark.

She looked down and was a little disconcerted to see that the ground was not even visible, only some branches further below and the lingering gray-white fog.

Kagome looked up to see wide, amber colored eyes looking at her mischievously. Inuyasha tipped her head to the side, kissing her firmly on the lips.

After the brief kiss, the miko tried to breathe. As she exhaled, a thin, warm mist escaped from her lips. "Inuyasha," she implored. Somehow, she knew that for once in his life, he was actually going to follow his elder-brother's advice. "You can't…"

The hanyou silenced her with one more kiss before he placed a single clawed finger on her red, swollen lips. "You could help in a battle against demons, but not humans. Besides…" He paused, and this time only serious honeyed orbs looked at her with concerned fear. "I can't have you killing a human. You're far too gentle for that."

With one bound, he left her side and disappeared into the surrounding wall of mist.

"Inuyasha! Rin's my sister!" she screamed, but her only answer was the sudden fluttering of a flock of birds that were disturbed by her outburst. The miko gathered her fists to her side. "You…you…arrogant jerk," she muttered under her breath.

Kagome exhaled loudly in an attempt to keep herself from screaming again. The last thing she needed was to call attention to herself now that she was alone.

Peering down into the mistiness below, she was happy to see a wide choice of branches within arms reach. The only problem was that she couldn't even be certain how far up she actually was since the ground was concealed by a low-lying cloud. She steeled another breath and then decided to look on the positive side. At least, since she could not really look down, she would never get vertigo. The most she could see was five meters in front of her.

With her bow and arrows secured to the quiver on her back, she carefully descended into the mist of the forest. She would hear the occasional squawk of a bird or the rustling of branches in the wind. But, the sounds of battle were now too distant for her to discern. Knowing Inuyasha, he was probably doing his best to move the fight as far away from her as possible.

Eventually, her sandaled feet made their way to the damp, pine needle encrusted forest floor. Kagome sighed as she brushed off the mud and dirt she had acquired from her climb. Then, she readied her bow and made her way through the dense canopy of mist and trees that surrounded her.

With no warning, suddenly everything shifted, and she felt the most intense waves of peace and purity wash over her. It felt lovely, and her arms stretched in an attempt to absorb the beautiful serenity that surrounded her. She breathed in the sweet scent of a spring day and sunshine even though the area was obscured by fog and dampness.

Tranquility suffused her senses, lulling her into a false sense of calm. Then her eyes suddenly flew open. "Inuyasha!" She shook her head left and right in order to fight against the numbing stillness. The purity that griped the island was so intense that it would certainly hurt a demon or half-demon. "No!" she cried as she ran forward.

At first, she widened her senses to detect demonic auras. She had to get to Inuyasha; she needed to save him. He was fighting a group of humans with modern weaponry. All he had was his Tessaiga that was probably nothing more than a battered sword with its weakened demonic aura. As she ran, she stumbled and slowed. Was it really best for her to run to Inuyasha? Not only would he be weakened by the pure aura enveloping the island, but also Sesshoumaru and Kouga. She could try to help them in battle, but what could she do against heavily armed men? Inuyasha's older brother was right; she was useless in a battle against humans.

Unless…

She was the only member of their party who could go to the source of purity. Perhaps, she could succeed in the one mission they would never be able to accomplish. She would try to take the holy barrier down. She closed her eyes and stretched out her senses, trying to detect the source of the purity.

Yes…

Like called to like…

She felt it drawing her near, a holy aura that seemed to be calling to her very soul.

* * *

Inuyasha hated leaving Kagome all alone on a treetop. But it was better than having her fight a group of mob henchmen. Her powers were worthless against human beings, and further, they were equipped with modern weaponry and guns. _If she were ever shot…_

He shook his head to clear it. She'd never have to face bullets or rockets. He left her high in a tree and he'd be damned if she was going to face human mercenaries armed with guns. She'd never stand a chance. For once, he agreed with his older brother. He snorted at that thought.

Perhaps, this was the only time he had ever agreed with the bastard.

As he made his way toward the battle that was raging, he caught the scent of another human male. The man was trying to hide himself in the underbrush. He zeroed in on him and swiped a claw at his large bulbous head. The toad-like man evaded his aim at the last second, and only tree leaves were felled.

"You," growled Inuyasha as he looked at Mukotsu for the second time. It was the creepy potions master that had kept them unconscious with noxious gases in Naraku's greenhouse. He remembered that Jakotsu had accused the man of molesting drugged girls. A shudder ran through him as he recalled that Kagome was almost a victim of Mukotsu's. This man needed to die.

With the power of rage coursing through his veins, he raised his Tessaiga high in the air before it barreled down to slice the man in half.

Mukotsu's bulbous eyes widened with comical proportions as his hands shot up to ward off the impending blow.

Both Inuyasha and Mukotsu were shocked when a huge blade parried the attack. Two large silvered swords hissed as they scraped against each other. The two combatants pressed their blades down, trying to gain the advantage.

Inuyasha noticed that a human opponent was countering his Tessaiga. The man wore a white fighting 'gi' and sported a long black braid. He looked familiar. It took Inuyasha mere seconds to realize that the manager of the Seventh Heaven, Bankotsu, was fighting against him. Of course, the man wouldn't recognize him; the last time he had seen him, his name had been Shaya and he had been scantily clad.

Inuyasha growled at the memory.

Mukotsu scrambled out of the way on his knees as the owner of the huge sword grinned. "This is my Banryu, and my name is Bankotsu. I don't know why Naraku wants you dead but I am happy to oblige him."

Inuyasha grunted as he pushed against the huge Banryu blade with his own transformed Tessaiga. The blade and Bankotsu moved back, thrown backward against a tree trunk.

"Keh!" Inuyasha muttered. He was quite certain that a well-placed 'Wind Scar' would not only kill the human, but destroy most of the trees in the nearby vicinity. He had only done this once before and managed to obliterate an entire stadium.

He recalled the thoughts coursing through his veins the last time he used the 'Wind Scar.' He thought about what might happen if Mukotsu managed to drug Kagome with his poisons or if Bankotsu faced Kagome with his broadsword.

_Not going to fucking happen!_

A desire to protect, to shield, sprang up from his very veins writhing around his blade and pulsing with power. He felt the energy swirling like a tornado around his sword, readying for an attack.

Bankotsu seemed to sense that something was amiss and took a step back even as he extended his Banryu in attempt to deflect the oncoming storm.

Inuyasha smirked.

_You're going down fucker!_

Then, an agonizing wave of energy shot over his body. Purity crashed over him like a lightening storm. He watched the gathered demonic energy of the Wind Scar dissipate into the air. Horror gripped his form as his claws receded and his long silver hair darkened into grey.

He was nearly human again, and it wasn't even the night of the new moon. His demonic energy had virtually left him. He could still feel a sliver of power in his body, but it was weak.

Bankotsu smirked as he observed the half-demon's transformation. Somehow, he knew that the hanyou before him was no longer a threat. He held his Banryu aloft ready to fight again, knowing that the tides of battle had turned in his favor.

However, Inuyasha wasn't about to back down. Not while he could still breathe, not while blood still coursed in his veins. He would never give up. He had something to fight for, and her name was Kagome.

He held his battered, untransformed Tessaiga with one hand as he ran forward, ready to meet his fate head on.

* * *

It was desperation that moved Kagome's feet forward. She could only imagine what was happening to Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Kouga while the purification barrier enveloped the island. She had to stop it, though for the life of her, she wondered how something that powerful could be stopped. And was the source inanimate or animate?

If it was a human being that was unleashing such a powerful force, surely she could reason with him or her.

She stumbled and fell over tree roots and rocks until she made it to a rocky shore. Grey-green waters flecked with white foam crashed against the pebble-strewn beach. The salt water from the waves mixed with the fog, coalescing as a salty mist.

She shivered at the coldness, but also felt the warmth of intense purity wash over her. Her eyes tried to find the source of the aura. Both her soul and eyes were working in tandem to discover the epicenter.

As she turned, she noticed a small wooden shrine farther up the shore. It was enshrouded by pine trees and would be difficult to see if it wasn't for the pure aura that shone from within the building.

Carefully, she made her way up the rocks of the shore and then onto the gravel path that led to the shrine. As she approached, she noticed that it was the focal point of the purification energy that was running all over the small island.

Bending down, she walked into the small abode. Then, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

There, before her, was a mummified man in silk monk's robes. His skin was muddy brown in color with flecks of bone yellow. The eyes that had once rested in their sockets were hollow, and his cheeks sunken. There was no flesh left; only a wrinkled corpse remained.

"Sokushinbutsu!" she gasped.

She had heard of these mummified living Buddhas, though she had never seen one in the flesh before. They were men who had virtually starved themselves over a period of nine years before they finally allowed themselves to be buried alive. The lucky ones became dried out mummies; the unlucky ones rotted like a normal human being. She couldn't imagine putting herself through such agony, however it was said that taking such steps allowed the men to reach nirvana and to become living deities.

There was no doubt that the spiritual purity coursing all around her was centered on that very figure. But how could she stop it? It would be sacrilegious to destroy a living Buddha, and she didn't have the means to get the mummy off of the island. Sesshoumaru's dragon would probably be helpless to return to the island now that the spiritual energy enveloped it.

Her head tilted to the left in wonderment and sorrow as she viewed the holy man. The only way she would have any chance of contacting him and convincing him to stop would be by communion.

Carefully she sat on the wooden floor. Then, she pulled herself into lotus position. Each crossed leg was bent at the knee and her hands rested on her thighs, the middle finger and thumb joined in a circle.

She willed her mind to calm and for her breaths to be even. She slowly brought in a breath through her nose and then exhaled through her mouth in an equal proportion.

Kagome was thankful for Kaede's tutelage on mediation. Otherwise, her worried mind would focus on Inuyasha and how he might be…

_No…_

She would find peace and calm. There was no Kagome, no Inuyasha, no island…just her soul, reaching out to seek another soul-a soul of intense purity, a soul that had faced the harshest of human punishments, a soul that had been willingly buried alive.

Then she felt it, a warm yet sorrowful soul that wrapped around hers.

Words fluttered against her mind. "Who are you? Who dares to violate my sanctuary?"

_

* * *

Reviews are better than seeing Kori pucker up to kiss Sesshoumaru.

* * *

_

_**Next Chapter:**__ Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Inuyasha are helpless against their foes as the purification barrier drains them of their strength. What's going to happen and will Kagome be able to stop it?_

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: Ai Kisugi needs your help again. InuSaga has deleted her brilliant masterpiece, 'Watcher in the Darkness.' Does anyone know why it was deleted and if there are any links to it that work? Ai has it listed as her 'Number One' Inuyasha Fan Fiction that she has ever read (on her Fan Fiction Profile) and now it is gone (which is a complete tragedy in her book). (Ai already tried to contact the author on Living Journal, but to no avail.)_

_#2: November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where authors are challenged to write 1,600 words per day on a novel. So Ai Kisugi will be taking the month of November off to write her original story. She'll be back to writing another chapter of 'He's My Girl' in December._

_#3: A few reviewers were asking when Rin was kidnapped and by whom. The kidnapping took place off-scene. If you read the end of chapter 17 you will see that Naraku has just asked Kanna to kidnap Rin. Then in Chapter 18 you see Kanna walking on past both Sesshoumaru and Takeshi Higurashi who are arguing. Their argument keeps them from noticing Kanna who has no scent. Kanna walks into the dressing room that Rin was in. The next thing we know, at the end of Chapter 18 Sesshoumaru shows up at the dormitories and tells Inuyasha and Kagome that Rin is missing. Kouga then pipes in and tells everyone that he saw a girl that looked and smelled like Kagome who was taken unconscious into a van outside of the Seventh Heaven. Re-read chapters 17 & 18 and read between the lines._

_#4: Ai has read a ton of Inuyasha fan fiction and has never stumbled across one that includes Rumiko's mummified Buddhist monk, Hakushin, and considering the complexity of that particular character, Ai can see why. While writing this chapter, Ai did some research on the 'Sokushinbutsu' or the mummified (living) Buddhas of Japan. These mummified men are considered living deities in Japan. It would stand to reason that if they were really deities, that they would have the holy power to both ward off and to expunge demons of their power. In order to become a mummified Buddha the monks would ritually fast for over nine years, which made them look like living skeletons and then would finally allow themselves to be sealed alive to die and seek enlightenment. Ai actually got a little sick to her stomach when reading about what these monks put themselves through. __http :/ www . sonic . net /~ anomaly / japan / dbuddha . htm__._


	20. The Thin Line

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

* * *

_Yes, we waited too long to put out this chapter. We're sorry. And yes we will finish this, there's about three chapters left, we're almost done._

_Warnings: Foul language and plenty of violence. Some words in this chapter may be offensive to some readers. We'd like to mention that it's not us, it's a desperate guy doing his best (or worst) to insult his opponent._

_Special thanks to our awesome betas: SplendentGoddess, Tori Rex and Theleb K'aarna!_

* * *

_Written by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea_

**Chapter 20: The Thin Line**

_If only there were evil people somewhere, insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?_

_- Alexander Solzhenitsyn_

Kouga was on the top of his game and he was doing what he liked best-pissing someone off and even better, he was able to fight while doing it. He swerved and dodged as two mercenaries tried their best to take him down, however the wolf demon was too quick for their feeble attacks.

_It's been too fucking long since I have been able to throw a punch like a guy!_

He briefly thought back to his many days as the buxom female, Kori. He grimaced when he remembered being drugged at the nightclub and how his roommate had saved him from a bad situation. He felt a slight twinge in his stomach when he thought of Ayame, the girl who had not only rescued him, but had also comforted him-a girl who he had even comforted in return. He had never done anything like that before. Just holding her in his arms had given him an inner peace that he had never known he could possess. Now all he wanted was a second chance with her and for her to know who he really was.

_And the bracelet is off! I can be my-fucking-self again!_

Kouga bellowed out a whoop of sheer joy as he evaded Suikotsu's long claws and the ponderous blows of Kyokotsu.

_Too fucking easy._

The young wolf demon could have already taken the two humans down, but it was so much more fun to just play with them. He used to live for fights, perhaps not as much as Inuyasha had, but he still needed a little ass kicking to make his world feel right. He had been a girl for too long. He had played with those silly rules of behaving like a lady and he just wasn't going to be that kind of er…gal…anymore.

Kouga grinned evilly as he sucker punched Kyokotsu in the face. He watched the blood spurt from the giant's nose, his entire form falling backwards before thumping heavily onto the misty, wet ground.

He eyed Suikotsu's striped face and long claws with a smirk. He briefly wondered what he could do to prolong the battle when a wall of white mist battered against him.

The boy dropped to his knees as the strangest feeling of purity cascaded against him, driving him down. The last time he had felt like this was when he had asked Kagome to purify him in an attempt to lose his cursed bracelet. His very body felt pummeled by sharp pains, and an unfamiliar weakness griped his muscles, making them unresponsive.

He looked up to see Suikotsu staring at him with wide eyes and Kyokotsu glaring at him. Thick, bound muscles on the giant's arms seemed to clench and flex with anger—an anger that was now directed at him.

Kouga seemed to sink further into the muddy ground as his body refused to obey him. The large figure of the murderous mercenary loomed over him and prepared to strike.

And for once, there was nothing he could do about it.

_Oh shit…_

* * *

A thunderous clash echoed through the woods when shiny, thick iron met its rusty, ancient opponent with brutal force. Seconds ticked by as the wielders of the two swords glared at each other from above their locked weapons. Metal ground against metal and strained growls rose from the rivals until finally one of them decided to play dirty.

Golden eyes with grayish hues widened for a moment, but the panic was short-lived. Even though his strength was waning due to the barrier, Inuyasha was still faster than Bankotsu. He jumped back with a grunt before the sneaky human's well-aimed kick landed on his knee.

"Bastard," the hanyou hissed under his breath once he landed on his feet with enough distance to gather his senses before the giant sword was upon him again. He threw the arm wielding the Tessaiga up and blocked the monstrosity of a sword before it cut through his shoulder. Tremors ran up Tessaiga's hilt all the way through his arm under the force of the impact. To keep his heirloom from cracking under the strain, the half-demon pushed against the human's chest with his free arm and used the momentary ease on his sword to jump, yet again, a safe distance back.

A smug grin appeared on Bankotsu's face before he clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. "Can't even hold your ground, can you, Hanyou?"

Slightly shortened fangs peeked under Inuyasha's upper lip as he snarled in fury, trying his best to not rise to the bait. He knew he was not a weakling, even as a human. He could take on that bastard any time. If only he could get him away from that monstrosity of a sword… As it was, his Tessaiga proved to be nothing more than a weak shield against Bankotsu's Banryu.

Never one to admit to his distress, Inuyasha snorted. "Feh! What the fuck do you know, you faggot? Come closer and I'll show you what I can do to your ugly human ass!"

Bankotsu's nostrils flared in anger as he raised his sword above his head. The smooth surface of the giant weapon caught the rays of the sun, reflecting them directly into the hanyou's eyes and blinding him for a couple deadly seconds. Inuyasha's ears caught the beginning of a hissed curse before it was drown out by the screech of iron against iron as the mercenary lunged at him with surprising speed for a human.

Bankotsu was relentless as he unleashed the Banyru's power with strike upon strike, never giving the hanyou a break long enough to get away from his fury. With each attack, Inuyasha found himself further pushed back. He was grateful that his heirloom hadn't yet broken under the brutal force of the monstrous sword.

Pushing back against the Tessaiga, Bankotsu whirled around inhumanly fast. The tip of the mercenary's long, dark braid grazed the hanyou's cheek before the flash of the Banyru-aligned with his throat-caught his eye. It was only the reflexes he had developed during his countless fights that helped Inuyasha escape the sword's cutting edge by a mere inch.

"Fuck," croaked the hanyou with widened eyes.

Inuyasha stood leaning back from the waist while Bankotsu's arm stretched right in front of his nose.

The half-demon saw the opportunity he never dreamed would happen, and he took it.

Baring his fangs, he bit the mercenary's wrist with all his might. Bankotsu screamed, and the Banyru dropped from his slackened grip. Before his opponent could recuperate, Inuyasha swung his fist into the mobster's stomach. Bankotsu doubled over in pain, giving the hanyou the chance to knee his face.

Not waiting to see his bloody-nosed opponent fall on his back, Inuyasha turned to get the Banyru from where it fell and cursed when he realized that he couldn't lift it. Right then, Bankotsu lunged at him, colliding with the half-demon's back and sending them both to the ground. The two swords lay forgotten as their owners rolled back and forth with fists flying here and there.

"Stop being a girl and fight like a man, you bastard," hissed Bankotsu once he was on top. His demand was swiftly followed by a hard blow to the hanyou's cheek.

Inuyasha's hands clawed at the human's torso in an attempt to throw him off balance until he got a hold of his long braid. Seizing the opportunity, he yanked hard, which helped him reverse their position. The moment the half-demon was on top again, his fist landed on the human's jaw.

"A girl?" Another punch to the other side of the mercenary's face accompanied Inuyasha's growled words. "Oh, but you weren't complaining before, were you, asshole?"

"What the fuck does that mean?" the dark-haired man managed to get out between his attempts to keep his face from being pummeled to the ground.

Inuyasha only smirked in response, remembering his last night at the Seventh Heaven and his heated make out with Kagome in front of the club's manager. It didn't matter that he had been Shaya and that the man had believed that he was a girl at that moment. The fact that the bastard had been about to grope his very male ass was enough proof of his questionable preferences in Inuyasha's eyes. Still, he wasn't going to voice that out loud since the butt in question was his and it did not sit well with his male pride.

Instead of wasting his breath to further goad his opponent, the hanyou focused on beating the shit out of him. Yanking Bankotsu up by the collar of his shirt, Inuyasha threw yet another punch on his bloody nose. He grinned in triumph when he heard the crack of bones under his knuckles. He had been right; he could take on any human without the aid of his enhanced powers.

Perhaps, he had been too hasty in congratulating himself because when he arched his arm to land another blow, he was thrown off balance by a fist that came out of nowhere and met his jaw with no resistance in his unguarded state.

Inuyasha looked up to see Bankotsu lunge at him again. But this time, instead of landing on top of him, the mercenary jumped over him and rolled on the ground a couple times until his hand came in contact with the hilt of his sword. The half-demon cursed under his breath for not having noticed how close they had gotten to the sword in the midst of their fistfight.

Rising to his feet with the Banyru once again in his hands, Bankotsu smirked menacingly. The red liquid dripping down his teeth only accentuated the heated fury in his gaze. "Now," he said, adjusting his stance in preparation for his next move. "What were you saying about me being a fag?"

Inuyasha's eyes darted around in search of his only shield until they found the old sword lying on the ground quite a few feet behind where the enraged human stood. He knew then that he had been far too hasty to consider himself victorious. As the giant weapon came at him with impossible speed for its size, his panicked mind was far too occupied with repeating one thing to come up with a response.

_Oh, shit... Oh, shit... Oh, shit!_

* * *

_Words fluttered against her mind. "Who are you? Who dares to violate my sanctuary?"_

Kagome's eyes opened to a scene of mist. A lone figure sat before her, kneeling like she was, in the lotus position. His leathery and wrinkled skin hung from the skeleton of his frail body. Purple Monks robes with a golden sash and cowl covered his small frame. But what was most mesmerizing about him was not what he looked like-it was his soul. Intense peace and calm surrounded him, causing her to nearly forget why she had tried to commune with the living Buddha in the first place. Her entire being seemed to want to draw nearer to him, her spirit begging to be closer.

His steady eyes, yellowed with age, looked unwavering at her. He seemed to be taking in her very being, judging her by the light and purity her soul emitted.

"I asked you a question," the monk stated with patience. "Will you respond?"

"I…" Kagome answered with a stutter. It wasn't every day that you could talk with a living Buddha, a deity that her people were called to worship and honor. She swallowed and then allowed the tranquility around her to still her soul. Minutes before she had been on the verge of panicking, but now she had trouble remembering exactly why she had been so insistent on coming here in the first place.

The quietness of her spirit helped to guide her. "Honored Buddha, I am Higurashi, Kagome."

"I am Hakushin. You are a priestess," he responded with a nod. "Now why do you disturb my solitude?"

Kagome blinked. She had only been here a few moments, or at least it felt like mere moments. It was so hard to judge the passage of time in a place that contained no walls, only bright light and shimmering mists. "Honored Hakushin, I beg you to dismiss the purification barrier that you have erected. My friends are here and it is undoubtedly hurting them."

The elderly monk shifted in his silken robes. "My purification powers are hurting them? But it would only harm a demon."

Kagome looked at him with wide, open eyes. She felt like she was exposing her soul as she spoke, and perhaps she was not far from the truth. "My friends are demons. They are fighting for their very lives here on this island."

"Ahhhh," murmured Hakushin as he closed his eyes. She felt his large spirit cascading past her, seeking to reach the world outside of the small confines of their communion.

After several moments, his eyes opened. "Are your friends the demons and half-demon that are fighting humans on this island? And…" he paused as if trying to ascertain something puzzling. "Is the large dog demon who is trying to crash past my barrier also a friend of yours?"

The miko was puzzled for a moment before she remembered that Sesshoumaru had been in cell phone contact with his father before they had left to Takeshima Island. The older Takahashi must be trying to help save them! If she could only get the barrier lowered, then the fight would surely fall their way! "Yes, he is the father of my friends. He is here to help."

The monk hummed to himself. Then he leaned forward to look directly at Kagome's doe-like eyes.

"I do not see the point of releasing my barrier of purification. Whether it is up or down, there will still be conflict and fighting. It makes no difference to me who wins or loses."

Kagome's eyebrows pulled together in concern and her mouth nearly dropped open in astonishment. It took everything she had to quell the panic that was coursing through her. She was Inuyasha's only hope. She had thought the living Buddha would listen to reason. Her hands began to tremble as her pulse quickly started to palpitate. The slow, even breaths that had enabled her to meditate started to transform into quick bursts.

Hakushin started to shimmer in front of her. The mists that surrounded them grew deeper and she felt her connection with the living Buddha waver.

_No!_

With an iron will that drew from her love for the only man she had ever wanted, she managed to still her panic. She could do this, for Inuyasha! She slowed her breath, her heartbeats no longer thumped excitedly against her chest. She took another deep cleansing breath and steadied her gaze at the monk whose actions would very well decide the course of the battle that was raging.

The monk gave her a wizened smile. "Good, you can contain your emotions. They are your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. You would do well to learn how to harness their energy when you need them in battle, but to not let them overtake you to such an extent that you lose your mind to the onslaught of their power."

Kagome's eyes were watering. She was fighting with herself to keep the tears from falling. "Honored Hakushin. Please, I beseech you! My friends, my sister and the man I love are fighting for their very lives. Please lower your shield."

The saint's eyes softened and looked at Kagome with a studied expression. "You would have me lower my defenses to what end? This conflict will only end in death."

The miko raised her arms in order to plead. "Hakushin-sama, you must know that the leader of the people we are fighting is an evil man. He has kidnapped my sister and has threatened to kill her."

The living Buddha sighed. "There is no such thing as evil-only greed, ill-will and delusion. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Kagome faltered. She was failing. In her one task, the one and only thing she could do to help end the fight, a fight that could end in Inuyasha's death, she was powerless. Against her will, the tears that she had been keeping inside brimmed and cascaded as hot droplets down her cheeks.

Hakushin continued, "Young one, no matter what I do or you do, this fight will end in death."

* * *

Sesshoumaru grimaced as his leaden feet tried to move. He was normally the fastest demon on the battlefield, now even a mere human could outrun him. To someone of his stature, this was egregiously intolerable.

Ever since the storm of purity had cascaded over him like an angry dust cloud, it had become increasingly difficult to make his limbs obey. Every time he attempted to move, it felt like his body was moving through quicksand. Energy was being sapped from his very essence, and it was pulling him down. Another demon would have been quaking in panic, but he was a prince among demons. Nothing could keep him from defending Rin; nothing would keep him from rescuing her.

He peered ahead at the effeminate mercenary, who stood with confidence, a large scimitar poised over his shoulder. The hideous man wore a woman's pink kimono and makeup imitating a clown. The one lone blackened tear over his eye looked out of place compared to the smirk that pervaded his features.

The man brought his sword out to point at the dog demon and licked his red stained lips before he spoke.

"Well, well...Aren't you a pretty sight?" laughed the man. "I am Jakoutsu, and this is my snake sword. You'll look even lovelier when I cut you up."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. He scoffed at the man's bravado and willed his claws to drip with poison, for his whip of light to extend. However, his body wouldn't respond. Everything felt sluggish, and his hands looked far too human and ordinary.

A lesser demon would have panicked, but the taiyouki kept his impassive mask in place as a quick flash of silver slithered toward him.

Something was terribly wrong, time normally slowed down for him in battle. He would effortlessly glide between opponents, catching them off guard with his speed and attacking before they could even raise a weapon in defense. Now he was on the defense, and it did not sit well with him.

He felt ripping pain as he willed his legs to move away from the oncoming path of the sword. He pushed his body back and maneuvered between the sweeping lines of silver. It looked as if the mercenary was a rhythmic gymnast, twirling his silver, ribboned baton around. It flashed close to Sesshoumaru's face. He managed to dodge the sharp metal, but then hissed as the blade found its mark. His shoulder and legs were cut. Angry, red slices oozed open and dripped down his silken garment.

When the weapon had scored, Jakoutsu whipped his hand back, and the sword followed, bending like an accordion to fold back into the shape of a scimitar.

Even if the dog demon's body couldn't fully obey him, his eyes had not been damaged. He could see that the scimitar that he faced was actually a sectional sword.

_A trick sword?_

"Ohhh," crooned Jakoutsu. "I knew you would look so pretty dripping with blood."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched the human freak lick the black blood from the edge of the scimitar.

"You taste good, too," said Jakoutsu with a smirk. "All the better that I bring you down slowly and have you begging me for your own death."

Sesshoumaru maintained a firm countenance as he brought out his Bakusaiga. The human filth who had addressed him was not even worthy of a reply. Silence reigned between the two combatants.

After a pause, a flash of silver whipped from the mercenary's hand and was deftly countered by the demon lord's thin blade. Metal clanged as the swords froze in a tangled grip. Sesshoumaru's thin sword was entrapped by a mangled weave of metal. Just as Jakoutsu was about to relish the fact that his opponent was caught in his web, Sesshoumaru pulled his sword clean away from the mess.

While the dog demon stood and tried to steady his weakened body, the mercenary struck again. Sesshoumaru tried to evade the oncoming barrage, but his body was slowing to almost human proportions. His once graceful attempts to rebuff an attack came out as a stuttered dance. The accordion sword reached and hit home, leaving red, staining welts against each thigh.

This time, Jakoutsu didn't mock him; the man simply grinned with the smile of someone who was already certain of victory.

* * *

"God dammit!"

The world was a blur of green and blue as Inuyasha rolled on the grass, leaving streaks of liquid red in his wake. Panting in exertion, he rose to his feet unsteadily. He was too caught up in the manic aggression in his enemy's gaze to try and hide the fact that he had used his only shield, the Tessaiga, to regain his balance.

Bankotsu did not miss it.

"What a waste," the mercenary muttered as he extracted his sword from where the hanyou had fallen a few seconds ago. "I hoped I'd have a worthy opponent for once; but it appears that without the help of your tainted blood, you're worthless." The corner of his mouth twisted in a show of pity, but the glint in his eyes betrayed his sick pleasure in seeing his prey wounded and helpless.

That was what Inuyasha was now.

Prey.

"I'll show you worthless, you fucking bastard," snarled the hanyou after spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. Through the pounding of his heart, he could hardly make out the cries rising from the other battlefields nearby. From the sound of it, Sesshoumaru and Kouga were not doing well, either. Inuyasha was not surprised; the effects of the barrier were getting more pronounced with each second that passed.

Locks of midnight hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and cascaded down his shoulders as the hanyou forced his exhausted limbs to raise the Tessaiga in challenge. The cut on his bicep protested the movement vehemently, but he masked his grimace with a well-practiced smirk. Although his pride would not let him admit it out loud, he knew deep down that his opponent was right.

For the first time in his life, he was outmatched.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow arched. _The Kami must have a bizarre sense of humor..._

It was both disturbing and nearly unthinkable that Sesshoumaru was facing what could be his final battle with the troublesome wolf demon at his back.

He had come to this island with the clear intent to save Rin. He knew it was a trap. He knew that if he didn't obliterate his enemy swiftly that the ambush would engulf him and Rin.

Rin.

If there was one good thing in his life, one woman he needed to protect and cherish, it was her. She was confusing, challenging, infuriating, utterly engrossing, sensual, and divinely beautiful. He really didn't care if he died; even in death, he was quite sure that he would continue on his quest to protect her.

But to be slowly sliced away by Jakotsou's sword, his lifeblood dripping down his face, torso and legs, it was not the way his existence should end-like a mere human bleeding to death.

Red, the color of liquid velvet, dripped down his face, his chest and legs. His kimono was in tatters, ripped by the sweep of a sword and blackened with his own blood.

Behind him, wheezing in near exhaustion was Kouga. The man also stood with red ooze all over his matted fur armor and numerous slashing cuts in the shape of claws raked his body. Normally, these wounds would have healed in a matter of minutes. But they were not healing; they continued to bleed and their strength was slowly seeping from their bodies. The purification barrier was a dense fog that crept in under their skin, sapping their strength, slowing them down and making them impossibly...human and far too mortal.

Kouga was dealing with two mercenaries against Sesshoumaru's lone opponent. The dog demon would not normally feel any need to compliment another fighter-he much preferred to taunt, even if the person in question was fighting on the same team. However, for once, Sesshoumaru was actually vaguely impressed by the wolf demon. The whelp had yet to flinch or complain despite several repeated attacks.

The demon lord only arched an eyebrow as he heard his companion speak. "You know… I've lived as a girl for weeks, but I've never felt as weak as one before."

A sudden shower of silver crossed Sesshoumaru's vision. He willed his arm to block the attack with his sword, even as pain laced his wearied body. With the deft maneuver that only a demon of ice cold tenacity could deliver, Jakotsu's trick sword crumbled into a myriad of slices before them.

The two demons could hear the effeminate mercenary huff in anger that his precious sword had been tangled and Kouga could only respond with a laugh. It was a laugh of resigned acceptance.

Kouga grinned as he stood side by side, for perhaps the first and last time, next to the demon who was once his arch enemy, "I wouldn't have imagined I'd say this, but… It was a pleasure fighting with you, Sesshy."

Something akin to camaraderie seemed to emanate from the taiyouki. But the dog demon quickly shrugged off the useless emotion. Still, he felt the need to respond. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… You're almost tolerable when you're not flirting with me."

* * *

Kagome's tears fell onto her kimono top, each drop of water darkening the white silk with gray wetness.

"Don't cry," the living Buddha intoned. He looked Kagome squarely in the eye with both compassion and detachment. He tilted his head to the side as if considering something and then continued. "You must remember, Higurashi-san, that everything in this life is impermanent. The sakura blossoms that are so glorious in the spring have a lifespan measured in days. The buds flare into beauty, and they quickly fall to the ground and wither away. Life is fragile, short and transient. You and I are like that." He paused to make sure that Kagome was following his every word. "The man you love is like that."

Kagome's stifled a sob and tried to calm her turbulent emotions. Her hands fisted into her lap, her back stiff and her face hot with tears. Hakushin shifted in his seat.

"My dear, every living being, every human, everyone we love is impermanent. And you are suffering before me because you love someone who can die."

Kagome shook her head, her mind clearing as she prepared her words. "Yes, I willingly suffer for Inuyasha. I would give my life over and over again for him."

The living Buddha sighed and fixed his eyes on her again. "And you have… Perhaps in this life, and you have done so in your past lives as well. It seems that you are bound by the red string of fate to re-live this tragedy of love and that leads to the death of one or both of you…"

Kagome gasped as she suddenly spied a single red string that was tied around her pinky finger on her left hand. The string itself wandered into the mists surrounding her, but she had no doubt that Inuyasha held the other end of the string. She tugged at it and felt it grow taut. There was definitely something on the other end of the string that was bound to her.

Her heart fluttered as she lifted up her hand to her face in wonder. She held a string that was even more magical and lovely than an engagement ring on her finger.

She had never stopped to think why she had such an intense attraction to Inuyasha, a magnetism that called to her even when he looked like a girl. She almost huffed at the bizarre courtship she had shared with Inuyasha. She had immediately fallen in love with him the first time she had seen him. Then when Inuyasha rebuffed her advances, her usual happy disposition had soured perceptively. Then it flared to life again when Shaya had shown up at her dorm rooms. At first she had thought it was only because the hanyou girl reminded her of Inuyasha. But she couldn't stop her intense feelings of attraction to the girl, emotions that confused and astounded her in their passionate desire.

Was this all because they had been in love before, in a past life? The legend of the half-demon dog who had been pinned to the Goshinboku tree by a miko long ago, was it them? Had she and Inuyasha been reborn again, to relive their ancient dance, a dance that had ended in death?

It was all because of this, a red string of fate. It had bound her to Inuyasha and was constantly pulling at her.

And now, she knew that it tugged just as strongly against him as well. Many times in their relationship she had wondered if the intense pull she had felt was one sided; now, she knew better.

She smiled inwardly in contentment, a bittersweet smile gracing her lips. She really didn't care if she had participated in the tragedy that had sealed the fate of the hanyou and miko long ago. She knew that she would do it all over again for the simple chance to be part of his life, to love him and to be loved in return.

"You must break the red string of fate," intoned the monk. "People bound by such a string are destined to live in an endless cycle of reincarnation. It will only prolong your suffering if the one you love lives in this life. It is best for you to let go, otherwise you will suffer again in the very near future and you will never freely enter into nirvana."

"What?" exclaimed Kagome. Whatever inner peace had alighted on her small frame evaporated instantly, and even the calming nature of the living Buddha next to her couldn't stop her fury. She found herself drawing the red string and her hand close to her body, as if worried that the monk would somehow reveal a pair of scissors that he would use to sever her connection with Inuyasha. "You can't say that. Hakushin-sama, I would never willingly cut my ties to the man I love. I told you that I would give my life for him and I meant what I said."

White-hot anger and outrage were coursing through her and her connection with the living Buddha was dissipating again. The cloudiness and lightness that surrounded her started to darken, like a storm cloud enveloping them. However, Kagome was stubborn, and she was not about to give up on her pleas for Inuyasha. She took a few deep, cleansing breaths. She tried to push away the negative, dark thoughts that had taken hold of her mind and instead decided to focus on what was good in her life—her steadfast love for the man who held her heart.

Her deep brown eyes concentrated on Hakushin, she calmed her mind and spoke with purpose. "That is what love is, Saint Hakushin, when you love someone deeply enough, you would freely give your life for them. That is something I am willing to do. Will you let me?"

The living Buddha sighed and Kagome could feel a deep sadness emanating from him. He nearly repeated her words. "Yes, it is love that causes us to sacrifice our lives for another. Perhaps…perhaps your lifepath is not to be corrected then. Self-sacrifice is the greatest achievement that Gautama Buddha spoke of. He once said that the quickest path to enlightenment is to sacrifice your very life for others-a sacrifice that must be done with a clear conscious and with no regret."

Kagome blinked. She could feel a deep emotional sadness emanating from the living Buddha. The poor man seemed to withdraw into himself. He looked down at his own hands in startled confusion. She could not help but to move forward and to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. There was a deep emotional sadness churning from the living Buddha. It was a heartbreaking longing that erupted form his very soul and escaped into the surrounding air.

Deep compassion drew Kagome closer to Hakushin. She couldn't understand why her words of a living sacrifice would cut him so deeply, but they did. She felt regret for speaking to him so harshly. He truly was a gentle soul, and his sadness was completely consuming. "Honored Hakushin, why are you so sad?" she asked, her eyes full of empathy.

The man looked up at her with a look of both disbelief and grief. He then crumpled into her waiting arms. His frail body felt as light as a child's as she pulled her arms tight around him, trying to offer him comfort and to still the sudden influx of pain that erupted from him.

He murmured against her. "I…I sacrificed myself for the good of my village. We were wracked by war, death and famine. I was already ill, so they asked me if I could become a living Buddha. And as a living Buddha, I could protect them even in death."

The man choked out a whisper. "It was an honor…an honor to sacrifice my life for the good of my people. To protect them even in death… I had always wanted to break my cycle of reincarnation with the greatest gift that I could ever give—my own life. But…my mind fell to dark thoughts. I hated them…"

"Hated?" asked Kagome in an attempt to try to understand the living Buddha in her arms.

Hakushin took in a shuddering, deep breath. "Hated that they were so selfish to want my death. Hated that I had to suffer through years of starvation to only be buried alive. It was all for their benefit, and before I finally breathed my last breath, before my soul left this reality, before I could finally taste nirvana…I became trapped between this world and the next. Never moving on…mired in this frail, mummified body. Forever, regretting my actions."

"Hate? Regret?" Kagome chewed over the word and felt how discordant it was with the man she held. "But all I feel from you is sadness. There is no hate emanating from you. And if you regret, it is not the regret for giving your life, it is a regret for not passing on. Look at your own soul, Hakushin-sama. You radiate peace and sadness-not hate."

The older man looked up at Kagome's face with sad bewilderment. "How is it that a child can see more clearly than me?"

Kagome tried to smile, but it lingered and the curve of her lips turned down. "Things are always clearer when it is not your own life that you're looking at."

The monk nodded. "So it is child, so it is… I didn't truly regret sacrificing my life for my people. It was the greatest act of love that I could give. I just regretted…"

"That you doubted yourself enough that you were not able to pass on…."

"Ahhhh," the old man intoned. "Self-doubt is always such an ugly thing."

Kagome smiled down at the frail, old man in her arms. "Don't doubt yourself anymore. You have served humanity enough. It is now time for you to let go."

The old man sighed in her arms. "Yes, I have been bound to the earthly realm for far too long. Thank you for helping me to see, dear child. I now need to rest…but remember the lifepath you have chosen for yourself…"

"Chosen?" questioned Kagome.

"Yes, you have chosen to sacrifice your life for another. Remember that you have freely chosen your path."

The miko swallowed as the bony man in her arms dissipated into a shimmering mist. She then felt a rush of joy as Hakushin's aura swept through her, his radiant purity suffusing her very soul. The area surrounding her flared with a brilliant light before the small wooden shrine reappeared before her.

She was sitting on the ground in lotus position in front of a small altar for the living Buddha. But the body that was once before her was gone, only his silken robes remained in a discarded heap. He had left this reality for the next, and even his body had ascended.

"Saint Hakushin," she whispered with reverence.

As she tried to shake herself awake, she noticed that the holy aura that had once surrounded the area was gone.

She smiled to herself. _I have done it! Now, Inuyasha can fight with all of his strength, and his father should be able to make his way through the barrier._

* * *

Sesshoumaru was both merciless and stubborn in every endeavor he had tried to accomplish. It had taken him years, but he had found Rin. Somehow throughout it all, he had faith that he would see her again. It was at this very moment, when his body was trying to fall under the fatigue of blood loss and mortal wounds that his hope and sheer stubbornness prevailed. A lesser demon might have admitted defeat. Sesshoumaru, however would never stand down to any demon or man.

Beside him, he could hear Kouga's labored breaths as the tired wolf demon tried to evade not one but two blows from his opponents.

Kyokotsu was a giant among men. The man must have taken various growth hormones and steroids in order to achieve his immense stature. His size simply wasn't normal. The Goliath's ponderous fists tried to strike a blow, and this time, Kouga's drained body could no longer evade.

Crack.

There was a sickening wrench in the air as the wolf demon's jaw was broken. Kouga fell to the ground to the buffeting laughter of the giant who stood tall above him.

Sesshoumaru would have tried to help, but it was taking everything he could to keep the trick sword at bay. His body was already riddled with cuts, and the fury within him was increasing with Jakotsu's continued taunts.

"Had enough foreplay, handsome?" smirked the man in a pink kimono. The mercenary was not without cuts and bruises of his own. But it was clear that he was winning the battle. He stepped even closer to his prize.

Normally, the dog demon would not be bothered by the words of an opponent. But the intense purity that swept up among them was pulling his very life force from his bones. He felt sapped of strength. It was only his iron will that kept his body standing upright.

His eyes narrowed as he barely made out that the man who was fighting him was walking right up to him, without any fear.

"Oh, I do so love a man in red. You look so lovely in your own blood," the fighter laughed as he pulled his sword to his side and reached for Sesshoumaru's chin. "Kiss me handsome. It'll be the last thing you do..."

Revulsion swept through him at the mercenary's advances. The dog demon was quite sure that he would prefer dying to touching something so vile.

The man was right next to him and was moving forward in what he must have thought to be a lover's embrace.

With a sudden shock, the purity that had encompassed him shrunk away. The dog demon could feel power return to his limbs, his demon-like healing taking over and mending his wounds, knitting together the rips that had gone through sinew and muscle.

Sesshoumaru flexed his hands and felt his poison once again slowly drip down into his claws.

The dog demon sneered, and for a brief moment, Jakotsu thought the demon before him was accepting the inevitable.

Jakotsu's grim smile was soon replaced by shocked surprise as Sesshoumaru's claws, dripping with green acid, shoved their way into the mercenary's gut.

The man twisted his face in a look of surprised betrayal. "I thought," whispered the man as blood crept out of his mouth and a real tear joined the blackened facsimile of one around his eye. He coughed out blood before his eyes faded and his lips opened up into a silent 'O'. His body fell backward, slid off of the dog demon's claws and collapsed into a broken heap at the taiyouki's feet.

* * *

"What is wrong, hanyou?" Without waiting a response to his snarled question, Bankotsu swung the heavy piece of metal in his hands once more.

_Clank!_

Banyru landed on the abused Tessaiga with brutal force, pushing the ancient sword down toward its wielder. Inuyasha's hands shook as he struggled to keep his heirloom between the giant weapon and his exposed shoulder.

The blatant signs of the hanyou's exhaustion brought a sinister smile to the mercenary's partially bruised face. He clicked his tongue, and mocking disapproval dripped from his voice as he continued taunting his opponent. "Can't get it up, can you?"

Inuyasha was livid. He didn't know what infuriated him more: the bastard human's arrogance or the fact that he was losing against a mere human. A growl built up in his chest, but it was a grunt that came out instead when the Banyru came down on him once more before the battered boy could take a breath.

_Clank!_

As it turned out, all that rage coursing through his veins did nothing to make the hanyou's fight easier. His tired limbs could only take so much, and when the two swords met, Tessaiga's blunt end pressed against his neck under the weight of the Banyru. For once, Inuyasha was glad that his heirloom was a rusty old metal that couldn't cut through paper.

The pressure on his skin increased as Bankotsu pressed harder, and the hanyou had no choice but to force his aching legs to jump back. Landing unsteadily on his feet, he resorted to using the Tessaiga to keep him up like a walking stick. His breaths came out in short pants, and his hand flew to his neck to meet wetness, red and hot.

"Not like you could do much damage with that teeny-weeny thing anyway."

The amusement in the mercenary's voice brought Inuyasha's gaze back to his opponent. Bankotsu seemed carefree and completely entertained as he chuckled at the sight of the hanyou's blood as if he was watching a light-hearted comedy in the comfort of his home. _Sick bastard!_The merry glint in his eyes unnerved the hanyou more than the rage he had witnessed before.

And he was right to feel so for before he could blink, the mercenary was coming at him again, his amused smile now sadistic on his contorted face.

_Clank!_

"Accept it, puppy." Bankotsu's sneer barely reached Inuyasha's ears above the protests of his limbs as he struggled to stand his ground. And then, the threat of sharp steel on his fragile skin was gone only to return more forcefully, determined to break through his heirloom and steal what was left of his life.

_Clank!_

"You're fucked."

_Clank!_

"You're not getting off of this island alive, and neither are your friends."

_Clank!_

Banyru grinded against Tessaiga, the screech of metal on metal irritating the hanyou's ears. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, passing over the thick barrier of his brows and seeping into his eyes, burning them in their salty wetness and making his vision blur. His jaw was set so hard that it was a miracle that his teeth had not shattered yet. The cuts in his body, both minor and deep, screamed at him to just give up, to show them mercy and let the blissful numbness of eternal sleep take away his pain. He was so tired that he wanted to listen to them for once. And for a moment, while the world swam around him in a mix of colors, he forgot why he resisted. But, the echo of a harsh whisper reminded him why.

"The girl was a nice piece of ass, though. Maybe I'll keep her."

His overworked heart stuttered, and the fire that had almost been reduced to ashes reignited with a vengeance in the hanyou's veins. The ugly, bruised face of his enemy, so close to his own, came back into focus with its lines sharpened in premature celebration of victory. And then, the world was once again a blur as his head flew forward, hitting the mercenary hard in the face.

Breaking the sword-lock, Bankotsu staggered back a few steps in shock. A string of profanities spilled from his lips only to be washed away by the blood running down his nose. His free hand came up to wipe at the thick liquid, and his features bore surprise as his wide eyes, oozing confidence only moments ago, met the hanyou's steely gaze.

Whether it was because of the threat against Kagome or something else, an unexpected but familiar surge of power washed over Inuyasha's entire being. "I will kill you before you lay a hand on her," he hissed, causing his opponent to involuntarily step back from the venom in his voice. Straightening his back, he tightened his grip on the Tessaiga and growled out with conviction, "She's mine to keep, mine to protect."

The moment the words left his snarling lips, a flash of light burst into life in his hands. Inuyasha smirked, watching his full set of fangs reflected at him in the smooth surface of his heirloom. He raised his eyebrow in mock confusion as he noticed the mercenary inch back slowly. Both men knew what had happened.

The connection was reestablished.

Inuyasha was back in the game.

"Yeah, run while you can, you bastard," he sneered as he raised his sword. "'Cause you won't get a second chance."

That put a stop to Bankotsu's unconscious retreat. His mouth twisting in fury, he spat, "Damn half-breed." With a maniacal glint in his eyes, he came at the half-demon with impressive speed.

Having already figured out the mercenary's fighting style, Inuyasha was not taken off guard. He had steeled himself for the oncoming attack and intercepted the blow from the Banyru with relative ease. Rejuvenated by the return of his demonic powers and sick of playing with the sadistic human, he whirled around, his arm stretched out and making a wide arch, before Bankotsu could swipe at him again. Tessaiga, shining brilliantly under the sun, sang as it cut through the air...

...and then flesh and bone.

Inuyasha grimaced as blood gushed out of the deep cut across the mercenary's abdomen. As dramatic as the scene was, the hanyou could not wait to see more than the disbelief in his enemy's eyes as the man fell to his knees. Turning his back to the human that was dying from the wound he had caused, Inuyasha took off in the direction of his comrades, hoping that they were still alive.

A tiny voice in his head kept urgently whispering that he had killed a human, but he could not dwell on that. He reminded himself who Bankotsu was: a mobster who killed people either by his own hands or by way of the drugs he had hooked them up with, a monster who took advantage of and forced women into prostitution and Kami knew what else. _No, he deserved what he got._Besides, if Inuyasha hadn't killed him, Bankotsu would have killed the hanyou and his friends and many more in his days to come. He was lucky that his powers returned when they did.

_And how did that happen?_

The barrier's purifying effects had been so oppressive that despite the sun shining with all its glory above his head, he had felt as if it had been another moonless night-and, the worst one he had ever been through. The lightness he felt as his feet rapidly pounded on the ground proved that the barrier was gone. _Something must have happened to cause that. Something... or _someone_._

_Kagome!_

Inuyasha's steps slowed to a crawl as dread filled his heart. She was the only one with the skills to deal with such great purifying power. He knew without a doubt that it had been her doing. He kicked at a nearby tree, sending it tumbling down with a loud crash. He should have known that she would not listen to him and stay where he had left her. She had probably saved all their lives, but now she was out there somewhere, completely defenseless against those crazy bastards.

Kagome.

Out in the open.

Among psychotic killers.

Inuyasha's lip pulled up in a snarl right as a chill ran down his spine.

_Stupid wench!_

* * *

Excitement coursed through Kagome's veins, and she tried to ease herself from her sitting position, but found that her body seemed to have fallen into a drunken stupor. She was only able to loosen one leg before she fell over onto the ground in inebriated haze.

"What?" she murmured.

Then she noticed that the air was thick with chemical smoke. It was acid and it burned her lungs. She could hardly move.

She heard a quietly menacing laughter from behind. She tried to turn and see who it was. But even her head would not move. The gooseflesh on her skin prickled as the unknown man moved closer. He ran a finger down her face before he yanked her up by her hair.

"Such a lovely girl," he crooned. "Such a lovely girl... I always preferred dark haired beauties like you. Now that you won't be fighting me, I think we need to get acquainted."

She couldn't see his face but could make out the odor of his breath, which smelled of rotted eggs. She could also feel meaty, greasy hands against her skin.

The man laughed again, and she felt her kimono top being ripped open.

"Yes, my lovely. I am Mukotsu, and now we shall get to know each other," he intoned as bulbous brown eyes leered at her with a sickening lust.

End of Chapter 20

* * *

_Reviews help Inuyasha run faster._

* * *

_Next Chapter: Oh no, what's Mukotsu going to do with Kagome? Will Inuyasha get to her in time? And where is Rin? Is she even alive?_

_Authors' Notes:_  
_#1: Help is needed. BlackMamba07 has taken down all of her lovely Inuyasha fan fiction. And just recently InuSaga took down all of her wonderful Inuyasha fan fiction as well. Ai Kisugi desperately wants to get a hold of 'Mirrors' by Blackmamba07. She loved that story and needs to have a copy for her own personal reading to keep it in her heart. It just kills her whenever she finds a piece of fiction that starts to live in her memory and then to see it disappear, without ever having the benefit of re-reading it again. Ai loves to re-read great pieces of fan fiction. Did anyone save a copy? Please PM Ai Kisugi if you did. She will be utterly ecstatic and would gladly trade you for a partial copy of chapter 22. (Yes, chapter 22 is partially written already, though chapter 21 is not.) _  
_#2: The authors would also like to apologize for how long this chapter took to get out. Real life caused a myriad of delays. It was also hard to write the section with Hakushin since it required deep research into Buddhism and (for the authors) a completely different outlook on life than what they were used to. It was extremely hard to get into Saint Hakushin head! And have no fear, chapter 22 is already halfway written. But what of chapter 21 you ask…? Errr…well, we'll get to that one…Ai was just having too much fun with chapter 22 and skipped ahead a little._  
_#3: The authors want to apologize for the serious scenes. The comedy will return again in Chapter 22, but right now the action/angsty scenes call for a different mode of writing._  
_#4: The red string of fate binding Inuyasha and Kagome together is seen in the closing credits of Inuyasha: The Final Act, which can still be viewed at Hulu (dot) Com._  
_#5: Both authors would like to state that we are never taking our stories down and that we are immensely saddened when authors take that route. Nothing is more depressing than never being able to read a beloved fan fiction story again. 'He's My Girl' did briefly disappear from 'Adult Fan Fiction,' however that was due to the admins at that site telling us the story was not a valid Inuyasha story, since it was evidently a crossover (this was news to us). After we added Ranma ½ to the list of anime that we did not own, AFF added us back. (Go figure...)_


	21. Dispirited

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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Warnings: Foul language and plenty of violence._

_Special thanks to our awesome betas SplendentGoddess and Theleb K'aarna._

_Written by Karaumea and Ai Kisugi_  
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**Chapter 21: Dispirited**

Takeshi's knuckles whitened as he gripped coarse dog's hair. Cold, salty wind whipped about his face, and his black trench coat lashed against his chest. He looked down to see the immense form of his friend, Toga the dog demon, riding the gales of air and clouds as if he were simply a dog frolicking through rolling hills.

He now knew that he should have confronted Rin when he had the chance instead of waiting for Sesshoumaru to pull his daughter from that hellhole, 'the Seventh Heaven.' They were all paying the price for that delay. Naraku had gotten his clutches on his dear daughter, and now, they were all rushing to try to save her on an island far from home, at a place that certainly contained a trap.

He swallowed. Did Naraku know that he was still alive? Was that why Rin was captured? Perhaps the mafia head had figured that a trap designed for both Sesshoumaru and himself would be far better than just taking them down one at a time. He had sworn that Naraku had thought that he was dead. The past two years had been spent in hiding, all so that his family would be safe from Naraku's vengeance. It was only now, when it was too late, that he found that his eldest daughter had been so stricken with the need for justice and revenge that she had thrown away her life.

He didn't know if it was the misty salt water or real tears that were trickling down his cheek. But he swore, today would be the day that he would right everything-even if his own life was forfeit.

Takeshi closed his eyes, trying to reach inside of himself to find his center, his place of peace, before the coming battle. They were minutes away from Takeshima Island. The duo had deliberately chosen to come in as a second wave. Hopefully, they would have the element of surprise.

As he concentrated on his task at hand, he was pleasantly surprised to find a wave of peace and tranquility pressing in at the edges of his aura. It felt like a warm blanket and it suffused him with calm. With a new determination, he opened his brown eyes and noticed that a dense fog surrounded the island. However, his senses told him that it was more than simple fog.

"A holy barrier?" he exclaimed in dreaded wonder.

The immense dog under his fingertips growled in warning and lurched away from the fogbanks of the island before the purification barrier could singe his fur.

Toga was almost pawing at the clouds that drifted underneath them. The great dog demon's hair bristled, and he shook his mane in agitation.

Takeshi couldn't comprehend how such a powerful holy barrier had been placed around the isle, but he could understand why it was done. In one simple act, all of the men who had been placed on the island to fight had been horribly weakened and were now probably fighting for their lives. The only person who would be unaffected was Kagome.

"Damn!" Takeshi started to cuss as he began to take off his weatherproof trench coat. "Toga, take me down next to the water, as close as you can get to the island without scorching yourself."

The huge form underneath him shook with disquiet. A low growl reverberated throughout the increasingly dense fog as the dog demon flew closer to the surface of the ocean.

Silent words of derision pooled in his mind. "Damn Naraku." Takeshi was sure that he was the only one who could stop the immense purification barrier surrounding the isle.

He had been angry, but now he was starting to get worried. Kagome was caught in the middle of this, and not even Inuyasha would be able to defend her. Just as Takeshi was about to remove his gun and wrap it in his waterproof coat, he felt a subtle change in the air.

Without any intervention on his part, the fog around the island lifted, taking with it the sacred barrier.

His brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before he realized the one person still on this island who could have taken it down.

"Kagome!"

A proud grin made its way onto his stern countenance, but he quickly wiped it away. He had to focus on his next task, Naraku.

"The barrier's down, Toga. You can thank my daughter for that," Takeshi uttered. Then, he closed his eyes and searched with his soul, reaching for the black aura that was staining the island. He opened his eyes once he locked onto the foul darkness. "Now I need you to take us to the far-side of the island to the promontory at the top. I can feel Naraku; he is there."

The huge dog underneath him shrugged and bounded off over waves and sea. For anyone who might have looked, they would have seen a dog as large as a dinosaur, bounding across the sea. It looked like an animal that was jogging on water.

Toga had made his way around, and for a moment, an incredible lightness of being permeated through Takeshi. If Kagome could stop the barrier on her own, then perhaps, he had underestimated the younger generation that was already fighting on the island. Perhaps today, Rin would come out of this alive...

Takeshi steeled his thoughts. Unchecked emotion was dangerous in the field of battle. He pulled his SIG-Sauer pistol, flicked off the safety and raised the gun to his chest, squeezing it lightly.

His mount skirted around the rim of the island. The great dog was far enough away that they would not be seen by the combatants already there. Though, any trained priest or priestess would already sense the enormous powers of both a supernatural demon and a priest circling the battle. Takeshi was already under the assumption that whomever had raised the holy barrier was working with Naraku and had already alerted him to their presence.

The malevolence that had only touched the borders of his mind now came to the forefront. He could feel the icy tentacles of evil reaching toward him. His mind met his foe before he could make visual contact.

As they neared the mountainous shape jutting out of the top of the island, he was able to make out two small figures. As he got closer, he saw a man with long ebony hair which whipped about his magenta kimono.

"Naraku," he murmured in quiet anger. "I'm taking you down today!"

Without thinking, Takeshi took out his pistol and aimed it at the man's blackened heart. It would only take a second to charge up the bullet that would otherwise be useless on a hanyou like Naraku. He quieted his soul and reached deep inside himself, then pushed the purification energy at his command into the gun. Soon his gun glowed blue-white. He steadied his aim and waited for a clear shot.

His daughter was a talented Shinto priestess, but these talents ran in families. She certainly didn't get her abilities from her maternal grandfather.

Though his eyes were locked on his target, Takeshi couldn't help but notice the diminutive girl beside the mafia boss. She was an albino child, clad in a white kimono and was holding a large mirror. He tried not to look at her as his mount jumped and nearly made him fumble his gun.

"What...?"

The girl's pale gray eyes looked up at him with emptiness. Then, something went horribly wrong. Her mirror was shining in their faces. At first Takeshi thought the girl had meant to blind them, but her motives were far more sinister.

A moment later, incredible pain ripped through his body. Something was tugging at his very soul and forcing it into the mirror that the small waif held. It felt as if a torrential hurricane was dragging his inner being away into darkness.

While Takeshi struggled, a blinding white light erupted from the dog demon underneath him. The priest turned police officer could see the demon's life force leaving its corporal form as the canine writhed in pain. The large dog convulsed, shrunk and reverted into human form. The mirror that was taking Toga's soul seemed to also be dragging his demonic powers within its bowels.

Toga howled in agony as the last of his life force was ripped from his body, lingering like a ghostly thread before meandering into the bottomless mirror that the small girl held.

All that was left was the ashen body of a man spilled upon the ground.

Takeshi gritted his teeth as he too fell, his very essence being pulled away from him. His hand was still wrapped around his gun, but it felt heavy in his hands...

...almost too heavy for him to lift.

* * *

The thick fog of poison stung Kagome's eyes, aggravating the tears already gathered in her brown orbs. Mukotsu licked his chapped, smoke-stained lips as he firmly grasped the girl's chin in his meaty hand. "Now, my dear, why don't you be a good girl and introduce yourself?"

The miko's eyes widened in disbelief. Did he really expect her to talk when she couldn't even open her mouth? She could feel the greasy fingers of his other hand on her bare shoulder, making her skin prickle in revulsion. If she could move, she would be retching all over the disgusting mercenary at that moment.

Mukotsu's eyes narrowed down to slits before a maniacal grin replaced his frown, showing his crooked, yellow teeth in all their glory. "Well, perhaps a little help is in order," the man mumbled before he started forcing her mouth open and closed while speaking in a ridiculously bad impression of a woman. "Oh, yes, my dear Mukotsu. My name is Hitomi, and I am very much in love with you. Please let me be your slave and make every naughty dream of yours come true. Please, Muki, please, please!"

If it had been under different circumstances, Kagome would have giggled at the man's idiocy, maybe even pitied him. However, as tiny droplets of his spit landed on her face as he spoke each word, all she could feel was the growing terror of what was going to happen to her in his hands. _Oh, God. He's crazy! _

The miko tried to move her arms, her legs, her head-anything that would've helped put a stop to his revolting touch-but her limbs were dead to her. Mukotsu's thumb swept over her lips, making the girl want to bite the chubby appendage off. His grin returned full force, giving him the expression of a satisfied but still ugly as hell pig. "Why, my lovely," he crooned, thankfully, in his normal voice. "No need to be so clingy. We wouldn't want any strings attached, would we?" He stopped for a moment, and rage flashed in his beady eyes, sending a new wave of horror cascading through her insides. His uneven mouth twisted into a smirk. "But, I'm sure we'll have lots of fun while it lasts."

Kagome's breath left her in a terrified whimper when the mercenary dipped his head low, the cold tip of his crooked nose skimming over her neck. "Ooh, you smell divine, my beauty," he mumbled. "I wonder if you taste as good."

Something warmer replaced his nose, leaving a wet, cool path on her skin as it moved inexorably along her neck. The moment she realized that he had licked her, a myriad of emotions intermingled with the horror that had been gripping her heart. She felt overwhelming regret that she hadn't been careful enough to avoid this trap. Despair soon followed for not being able to protect what she knew belonged to the one she loved. She felt dirty as if the man's actions left a permanent mark on her skin. And then, rage bubbled up in her chest with a vengeance. How dare this vile creature attempt to taint her body and soul with his ugly touch?

A surge of energy coursed through her veins, and the miko willed her hand to follow her orders for just a second. Even though she could feel Mukotsu's lips moving down her collarbone and his hand groping at her thigh, hope blossomed in her chest when her fingers obeyed her command. Slowly and clumsily, they crawled along the only surface within her reach: the mercenary's thick belt. Despite her revulsion, she was glad the guy was too occupied with assaulting her to notice.

While Mukotsu's hand moved up her leg and groped the waistband of her hakama, Kagome's fingers came in contact with the cold, smooth surface of something tucked in his belt. As the guy started fumbling with the ties to her hakama, the poor miko fought to ignore her rising panic and took hold of whatever was beneath her fingers. The momentary relief she felt when she realized that she was holding his gun was replaced by horror when Mukotsu's hand snuck into her hakama.

Reflexively, the miko's finger pulled the trigger.

The resulting gunshot echoed off the walls and was followed by a loud curse. Dropping the girl in his arms, the mercenary scooted away with haste. "Fucking bitch!" he screamed. "You fucking shot me!"

Kagome wanted to smile. However, having spent the last of her energy, she was left completely numb to her body. Even the rise and fall of her chest with each shallow breath was foreign to her. She had hit her head hard when he dropped her and she wished she could feel the accompanying pain in her scalp. Perhaps then, she could have crawled away from this place and away from this man instead of lying helpless like a puppet without strings.

From the corner of her eye, Kagome saw her attacker nursing a dark spot on his thigh as he alternated between whining and mumbling like a mad man. "Whores," he spat. "They're all fucking whores... lying, cheating, backstabbing whores!"

Focusing on the miko, he pinned her with his glare. "You!"

A fresh wave of fear swept over the girl when the wounded mercenary started inching his way back to her.

"You're the worst, Hitomi! You said you loved me, you lying whore, and then ran off with my fucking money! I forgave you, didn't I, you fucking bitch? Why did you do this to me now? Is it because I gouged your fucking brother's eyes out with your damn engagement ring? Is that it? Did you want it back on your finger, you cheating slut?"

Finally reaching her side, Mukotsu straddled the miko's hips. The rage in his beady eyes cooled instantly, replaced by the cold hardness of a professional murderer. "Oh but, I won't be fooled twice, honey bunny," he cooed as he cupped her cheek with one hand and her breast with the other. "In fact, I'll make sure you won't try it a third time."

A sadistic grin contorted his face before he let go of her cheek. Rough, meaty fingers closed over her throat, squeezing harshly.

More tears rolled down Kagome's temples as the reality finally sank in. No one knew where she was. No one was coming for her. And this monster...

He was going to kill her.

And rape her.

The miko prayed to Kami that it would be in that order.

Now that she knew her fate was sealed, she was thankful for the accursed poison that spared her the feeling of another man's touch on her skin. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend, and perhaps even believe, that this was not happening.

She could still believe that the only man that touched her body was the one that owned her heart and soul.

_Inuyasha…_

A deafening crash kept Kagome's eyes from closing though, and instead, they focused on a bewildered Mukotsu, still sitting on her legs with one of his offending hands frozen on her throat and the other on her breast. Her gaze followed the mercenary's shocked one, and with much difficulty, she managed to turn her head enough to see the rays of light penetrating the fog from where a wall had been. Splinters of wood scattered everywhere, raining down on her hair and making it hard to keep her eyes open. She blinked as the poisonous gray of the gas dissipated fast, revealing the dark shadow of a figure standing a few feet away.

The first thing she noticed was the shape of two dog ears standing erect on the welcome intruder's head before an angry growl filled the silence.

_Inuyasha..._

He had come.

For her…

Tears of relief blurred her vision, and Kagome willed them away to drink in the sight of the boy she had, only moments ago, thought that she would never see again. His long, silver hair was wilder than ever, and blood coated every inch of skin that was visible through his ruined clothes. His broad shoulders were tense, and the hand holding the great demonic sword in a tight grip shook with unconstrained fury. With fangs bared against her assailant and golden eyes promising death, he looked every bit of an avenging angel.

His sharp gaze washed over the scene, taking in the miko's poor state, and his eyes actually flashed red the moment they focused on the hands still touching his girl.

Before the hanyou's enraged cry reached Kagome's ears, a gust of wind blew her bangs to her eyes. Disoriented, she blinked repeatedly until her muddled brain finally registered that her assailant was gone. From somewhere in the room, she heard a strangled whimper and then two distinct thuds. A dark object rolled into her peripheral vision like a distorted ball, but the scene was soon obstructed by silver and red.

Lots and lots of red...

Blood dripped from Tessaiga's tip as Inuyasha stood before her, his eyes wide with a disquieting combination of rage and fear. His gaze raked over her disheveled form in a panic while he fumbled to sheath the giant sword with trembling hands, paying no mind to the dirty liquid staining his invaluable heirloom.

He crouched over her, his hands fluttering over her motionless body as if afraid to touch. His golden orbs darkened when they focused on the rapidly forming bruises left from her assailant. "Fuck," he cursed, his coarse voice finally caressing her ears.

The miko had never heard a word more beautiful.

She wished she had the energy to cry out in joy. She wished she could tell him how much she loved him for simply existing. She wished she could erase the sorrow and guilt she saw in his eyes. But more than anything, she wished she could feel his touch when, after another colorful exclamation, he picked her up and easily carried her out of the ruined building.

Still, knowing that she was back in her beloved's arms gave her strength. A low growl kept resonating within his chest, only interrupted by an expletive every few steps. The farther he took her away from the cursed place that terrorized her and the poisonous gas within, the easier she could breathe.

By the time the hanyou's angry strides halted, Kagome's senses started coming back to her. He sat leaning against a tree and cradled her in his lap. "Fucking bastard," he growled as his fingers gently traced the marks left on her neck and chest. "I should've cut his fingers one by one. I should've ripped his intestines out!" His eyes landed on hers then, a swirling mess of fury and agony. "What the fuck were you thinking, wench! Why the hell did you not listen to me?"

The anger in his voice cut through her trance. Of all the things Kagome had imagined doing once she regained control of her body, going into hysterical sobs was not one of them, but that was exactly what she did.

"Oh, shit," cursed Inuyasha before hugging the miko's quivering form closer to his body. "I'm sorry," he exclaimed in a panic. "I'm so sorry."

She looked so small in his arms and so broken with tears flowing down her cheeks. Her chest heaved with relentless sobs, bringing his attention, once again, to the bruises marring her creamy skin. The rage he had been fighting to control flared to life with a vengeance. Some slimy bastard dared put his hands on his girl, and he hadn't been there to prevent it. "Damn you," he snarled, unable to decide whom he was cursing, before he pulled on the miko's shirt to cover the offending sight from his gaze. He kept murmuring apologies as he rocked them back and forth, his fingers threading into her hair and gently, soothingly combing the tangled locks.

After what felt like an eternity in hell, Kagome's heart-wrenching sobs dwindled, leaving pitiful hiccups and soft sniffles in their wake. Letting go of her hair, he cupped her cheek and gently coaxed her to face him. Her red-rimmed eyes looking up at him with a mix of sorrow, adoration and gratitude only solidified his overflowing guilt. "I'm sorry I left you alone. I'm sorry I forgot how stupid you could be," he whispered. Seeing a fresh wave of tears gather in her large brown orbs, he hurriedly added, "But for what it's worth, whatever you did back there to get rid of that barrier, it saved my life, Kagome."

When she looked down uncomfortably, Inuyasha leaned his forehead against hers, forcing her to meet his intense gaze. "_You_ saved my life," he mumbled softly, begging her to understand that he wasn't upset with her. His hand glided down to her neck, and his trembling fingers traced the marks on her skin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

Kagome's indignant huff fanned against his lips. "Don't say that!" she chided vehemently. "He-he was going to... he was..." Her words failed the distraught girl, and all that came out in the end was a whimper.

Needing to be there for his beloved but also dreading to hear the details of what she'd been put through, he shushed her gently, followed by a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. "I'm here now, baby. It's over; he can't touch you anymore-no one can. I'm here."

Kagome bit her lip before taking in a deep breath. "Exactly," she said determinedly. Her delicate fingers rose to frame his face, her thumbs caressing his cheekbones reverently. "You're here," she whispered with a relieved sigh. "You came for me."

The small smile that graced her lips was short-lived, though, leaving him aching for more. Her eyes widened, and fear crept back into them as she asked, "What do you mean I saved your life? What happened? Inuyasha, are you all right?" Pushing back from him, she started fussing over the visible signs of his fight with Bankotsu. "Oh, Kami! You're a mess, Inuyasha! How did this happen?"

The hanyou chuckled in disbelief. Only his Kagome would be concerned about a few shallow cuts on his person and forget about what horrors _she_ had just been through. His bittersweet amusement died quickly when her fingers touched a rather tender spot on his chest, and his breath escaped his lips in a hiss. "Damn, woman, stop poking! I'm fine; it's just a scratch." Seeing her raised eyebrow, he grumbled in grudging resignation, "I'll be fine in no time, anyway. Look, they're already healing, OK?"

"O-kay," she said slowly, frowning. She pursed her lips as her fingers hovered over a nasty gash on his chest. "Does it hurt?"

"Nope," he replied without a pause and clenched his jaw when she pressed against the edge of his cut skin. When her eyes met his, he forced out a smile that he hoped was nonchalant.

Kagome shook her head and sighed in disapproval. "You're so stubborn," she mumbled before a small grin tugged at the corners of her delectable mouth. "But, I love you anyway."

"Keh! You better," quipped Inuyasha with a smirk only to have it wiped off his face by her lips.

The relief, the rightness he felt when her soft flesh connected with his was overwhelming, and for a few delicious moments, all the hanyou could do was just let her kiss him senseless. The miko's tiny hands tangled into his already disheveled hair, tugging at the silver strands and earning a groan from the boy. She started wiggling in his lap, and before he knew it, she was straddling his legs as her lips continued to suck the breath out of him.

The hanyou didn't know what to do with his hands. The urgency of her actions fueled the ever-existing fire in him, making him want to grab her hips and finish what she started. However, it also alarmed him to the fact that her need was not solely based on their mutual, unquenchable thirst for each other. He understood that she needed reassurance after what she'd been through, and Inuyasha would die to give it to her.

Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters at the moment.

With a will power he hadn't known that he possessed, he pulled back from her lips. The miko didn't seem to notice his dilemma as she proceeded to nibble on his jaw. "Umm... Kagome?" As if the feel of her gentle bites wasn't enough of a distraction, her sneaky hands found their way into his shirt, tracing the hard-and thankfully still intact-muscles of his abdomen and making it difficult to talk for the hanyou. "A-Aren't we fo-forgetting something?"

Her answer was a disinterested hum before her tongue flicked out to taste the skin of his neck. That was the breaking point for Inuyasha. "Baby, please stop," he begged, holding her shoulders and gently urging her away. He looked into her glazed over eyes with regret. "Your sister..."

Kagome blinked dazedly before her eyes widened, and she gasped. "Oh, Kami! Rin!" What little color she had left drained off her face. "Have you seen her?" she asked while she struggled to stand up.

"No." Inuyasha watched, stupefied at her immediate change of mood even though he was the one that triggered it, as she fell off his lap with a soft exclamation. The sudden loss of her warmth was unsettling, especially since he'd just started enjoying himself. "What are you trying to do?"

"We have to find her, Inuyasha!" snapped the girl as she clumsily rose to her feet.

Finally noticing that the miko's limbs were still suffering from the effects of the poison, the hanyou jumped to his feet to help her stand. "Let me," he mumbled with a soft chuckle, prying her fumbling hands off her shirt and adjusting it with his bloody but steady ones. Kagome huffed impatiently, but her gaze was full of adoration as she looked up at him.

No more than a couple minutes later, he had his girl on his back and his nose sniffing the air like a mad dog's as they raced through the mass of trees in a blur of red, silver and raven.

* * *

Takeshi had never felt so weak. Was this what newborn puppies felt like as they struggled to stand? His hold on reality and even his body was tenuous. It was as if his own form was rebelling against his very wishes. He clutched at his gun and tried to pull it away from his chest. If he could only aim it at Naraku…

A maniacal laughter filled the air. The police officer lifted up his weary eyes to spy upon Naraku and the small girl at his side.

Takeshi tried to focus his eyes. It was as if he were peering through murky waters. The images before him doubled and moved. He had the vision of a drunk.

The young girl looked at him blankly while she still held the large mirror in her tiny hands. The silvered surface pulsed with life, reverberating against its confines.

"Finish him off," said Naraku with an oily cool. "He's still conscious. I want him lifeless!"

The girlish youth next to him didn't say a word, her robotic face turning to look slowly at Naraku and then Takeshi. No emotion betrayed her voice as she spoke, "His soul is too large. I have already trapped too many souls within my mirror. It has been filled to the brim and will soon spill if I add any more."

Naraku growled, his voice rising with rage as he spoke. "You told me that you could suck up an entire army of souls with your mirror. Were you lying to me, Kanna?"

He brought up his hand to slap the girl, but her placid exterior stopped him. She looked more like a marble statue than a human being. Her eyes betrayed no fear as she looked at the man who towered above her.

"It can hold the souls of an army of mere men. But, this is not a mere man."

"Then what is he?" Naraku bellowed.

The half-demon's eyes narrowed as he took in Takeshi's appearance, flickering with a half forgotten memory. Then, the pallor of the dark hanyou's face drained of color, leaving only whiteness and a look of disgusted shock.

"No, not you..." he muttered with disbelieving arrogance. "I ordered your death. You were shot and thrown into the sea. You can't be...Higurashi. You can't be the same undercover cop who dared to infiltrate my organization."

The man in the trench coat tried to prop himself up with his arms. His words were as shaky as his body, but he managed to steel his voice. He sounded more confident than he felt. "The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated," smirked Takeshi.

If only his body did not feel like leaden weights. He managed to swing his knees underneath him and attempted to stand up. But his body refused to listen to him, and he fell to the ground looking like a drunk.

Naraku paused and looked down upon the shaking form of the police officer before him. The mafia boss scowled. The man before him was obviously not a threat; he looked about as powerful as a rag-doll.

The police officer's wilted form seemed to bring a haughty smile on the mob boss' lips. "Can't even stand on your own two feet, can you Higurashi?" scoffed the dark hanyou. "It is fitting that you live your last moments of life helpless."

"Where is my daughter? Where is Rin?" Takeshi gasped as he finally managed to get to his knees.

"Rin?" The dark hanyou's eyes drew back in perplexity as he mentally scanned his memories for someone named Rin. His eyebrows drew together in concentration before his dark eyes lit up with recognition. A slow, dangerous smile tugged at his lips. "Your daughter... It was Rin?

"Don't tell me that you _let_ your daughter star in my strip tease show? My, my...what has become of your baby?" The mafia boss paused before continuing. "She turned into a whore! It must have happened when her daddy left town."

Takeshi growled in anger. "How dare you!" he yelled. He attempted to get onto his own two feet again and failed.

Naraku only laughed, seemingly pleased to have upset his long-time foe and to see him so helpless. "I actually didn't do anything. I didn't even know she was your daughter. Though, if I had known, I would have surely made more use of her. Sluts can be very useful in my line of work."

"She's my daughter; she's not a whore!" yelled out Takeshi. His blood was pumping faster through his veins. He was shaking from adrenaline that rushed like a drug through his body.

Naraku seemed to find some sort of hidden merriment in mocking Takeshi. He simply continued on his condemnation of Rin.

"Ah, but she was a whore, and a lovely one at that!" Naraku laughed with derision. "If I had only known… Maybe then I wouldn't have had Kanna suck up your daughter's soul into her mirror. It is now too late for her. All that is left is a lifeless shell. But I made sure that I could make use of her one final time..."

A malignant smile erupted from Naraku's lips. "She is tied up on the other side of the island. But I had my men set up a bomb next to her. The moment someone tries to move Rin or attempt to untie her... Well, I am sure that the explosives I have set up will create a blast that even a demon cannot escape from."

* * *

Once the foul purification barrier had lifted from the island, it didn't take long for Sesshoumaru to dispatch the rest of the cadre of mercenaries.

The dog demon looked down impassively at his arm that had speared Suikotsu in the gut. The soldier looked down in horror to see sharpened nails erupting from his stomach. Red blood spilled and mixed with the demon's green poison. The mercenary's eyes seemed to widen with disbelief before they glazed over into nothingness.

Sesshoumaru pulled his arm away and shook the viscous red liquid away. He had no more time to deal with inconsequential battles. He needed to get to Rin, quickly.

The great dog demon didn't even glance back to see Kouga finally finishing off the ponderous Kyokotsu. He barely registered the loud thump of the giant's body hitting the ground as he sped away.

There was really only one reason why he was on this island-it was to rescue Rin. The mercenaries had been a momentary disturbance in his plans. Sesshoumaru's ego would have never allowed his past predicament to be described as anything more than that. He would never admit to nearly being killed by a mere human.

Wind whipped around his elfin ears as he moved swiftly toward Rin's scent. He could make out her smell of clean waterfalls and verdant streams. She called to him on many levels: her proud and stubborn mind that constantly baffled him, her wondrous scent that soothed his senses and her petite, sexy form that set his body on fire with a single glance.

The demon lord _never_ panicked, however there was something akin to immense concern and alarm that was taking a hold of his mind.

As he drew nearer to her scent, he caught the scattered layers of the stench of the human mercenaries. They had been next to his woman; they had even touched her... Sesshoumaru couldn't help the feral growl that erupted from his chest. If he hadn't already killed those useless human beings, he would have taken the time to slowly dismember them when this battle was won and Rin was safe. They had put his mate in harm's way and they deserved no mercy.

He also found newer scents of his brother and his miko joining with Rin. Apparently, they had already reached her.

Soon, a clearing entered his field of vision. It was down the steep cliff-face, but it should only take a minute to reach it. Within the grassy meadow, Rin sat with her head held low, as if in defeat. The miko was before the girl and had fallen on her knees. He could hear Kagome shouting out "Rin!" in alarm.

His chest tightened as he wondered if Rin could possibly be dead. Her body was limp and lifeless. Tight rope bound her calves and arms. Her wrists were pressed against her back with her knees tied under her body. She was bound like an animal that was to be slaughtered.

Sesshoumaru did not scare, but his heartbeat did start to race and thumped through his veins. It was only after he was able to hear Rin's slowly beating heart that he was able to quell the uneasiness inside of him.

Just as his form started to plummet down the sharp cliff, he saw the miko move to hug her sister.

Inuyasha was screaming at Kagome to wait. But the obstinate human wasn't listening to her mate. She was simply sobbing Rin's name and seemed too bereft to think coherently.

The miko's arms, encased in long, billowing white sleeves, drew Rin into a tight embrace. Inuyasha yelled one more time, and his blade pulsed in the air. With a hasty leap, the hanyou was right above the duo when a loud explosion rocked the small meadow.

In what was once stillness, rocks flew, gray-brown smoke swelled and a loud blast careened through the atmosphere. The very cliff he was scaling started to reverberate as chunks of rock and dirt pelted the scene. It was only his incredible speed that enabled Sesshoumaru to evade the avalanche.

Within seconds, he was at the foot of the precipice. Smoke and dust still hung in the air, obscuring his vision, and Rin's scent had suddenly disappeared. His ears were ringing from the sudden noise and he couldn't discern any sounds other than a few rocks tumbling down.

Sesshoumaru dropped to his knees as complete disbelief pervaded his features.

"Rin..."

Lost in the smoky gray surrounding him, the agony in her whispered name echoed in the dog demon's mind, shattering his heart into a million pieces.

End of Chapter 21

* * *

_Reviews are better than having a hot kiss with a golden eyed, silver-haired hanyou... Well, almost!_

* * *

_**Next Chapter:** What happened? The bomb hit right where Rin, Inuyasha and Kagome were. I guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out if this story is morphing into a tragedy instead of a comedy…_

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: The scene where Mukotsu kidnaps Kagome is entirely different in the anime than the manga. There are many scenes in Inuyasha that were cleaned up for the television audience and this was one of them. In the anime, Mukotsu pretends to marry Kagome in order to make her his bride. In the manga it is revealed that he is attracted to Kagome and that he wants to get her alone. Then he attempts to rape her. Of course, in both the anime and manga, Sesshoumaru kills him before something too horrific can happen._

_#2: Quote used in this chapter: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" was originally written by Mark Twain._

_#3: If you haven't already started to read, 'Behind the Silk Screen' by eien-no-basho then you owe it to yourself to read one of the best Inuyasha/Kagome pieces of fan fiction to grace the Internet._

_#4: Ai and Karaumea will be participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which takes place during November. We're supposed to write a 50,000 word original novel within one month. Wish us luck and we'll be back to 'He's My Girl' in December. Only two chapters left!_


	22. Cracks in the Mirror

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

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Warnings: Foul language and plenty of violence._

Special thanks to our awesome betas: SplendentGoddess and King Baka

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Written by Ai Kisugi with edits by Karaumea__  
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**Chapter 22: Cracks in the Mirror**

Naraku had his back turned to Takeshi, who was lying on the ground. The mafia boss was gesturing to a grassy field just a little south of their position.

Takeshi tried to focus his eyes. He could barely make out the form of a small woman, hogtied and seemingly lifeless.

"Your little girl is just over there. But you can't do anything about it, can you, Detective Higurashi?" gloated Naraku as he laughed.

The dark hanyou surveyed the scene with a sneering command. He held out his arms wide and turned around. It was as if he was the ruler of all he surveyed and he had deemed his twisted plans were culminating nicely.

All Takeshi could hear was the man's hollow mirth echoing throughout the island.

Anger coursed through the policeman's bloodstream and adrenaline quickened. What had once been a bleary image before him somehow morphed and sharpened. Now he could clearly see Naraku and Kanna's pulsating mirror.

Above all, Takeshi was a father, and it was his daughter's soul that was trapped within the mirror's confines. He really didn't care if his own life would be forfeit, but he would rather be bound to hell for eternity than to know that Rin had lost her priceless soul to this heartless creature.

He didn't have the strength left to actually stand on his own two feet but he was able to kneel before the man that he had been trying to take down for the past three years of his life. He used one hand to grip the pistol while his other shaky hand tried to steady his aim.

Naraku's back was still to him. The mafia boss had apparently decided that he was no longer a threat. _His mistake..._

How he had managed to even get on his knees astonished him. But it was his fury that was fueling him. Takeshi had only one target in mind as he pulled the trigger.

_Crack!_

A loud shot rang in Takeshi's ears as iridescent white energy spewed forth from his gun erupting against Kanna's mirror.

At the exact same moment, he saw Kagome and Inuyasha lunging toward Rin.

He tried to scream and to yell at them to stay away. He wanted to let them know that Naraku had set up a bomb to explode if anyone tried to rescue his daughter. But just as the words fluttered to his lips, a detonation erupted where his daughter had once sat.

Smoke and dust filled his vision, clouding the last image he had of his daughters and Inuyasha. The smell of burnt earth was intermixed with salty sea air.

_No! Not my daughters! Not Rin! Not Kagome!_

Everything that happened next was a blur. Naraku's maniacal laughs somehow chortled to a stop. The mafia boss turned around to see that Kanna's mirror was cracked. Naraku's brown eyes morphed into horror as he saw the thin lines within the silvered mirror start to fissure like an iceberg that was breaking apart. As the fractures widened, white started to stream out of the gaps. Soon, a torrential wind blew backwards out of the mirror. Rifts of ghostly mirages slipped away from the mirror's confines, whispering joy at the end of their imprisonment.

The white energy flew past Naraku; his ebony hair whipped like tendrils against his ashen face. Next to him, Kanna's small body was cracking like her mirror. Her very skin fractured, first as thin lines and then into pieces that broke away from her body, like shards of a pottery breaking into a ruin.

The mafia boss looked on with sickened horror as the demon girl he had grown to trust as his most reliable defense literally crumbled at his feet. He couldn't help but to step back, as if the broken pieces of her body and mirror could somehow desecrate his already blackened soul.

A small silvery wisp drew itself back into Takeshi's frame, and dizziness engulfed him. However, he really didn't care that he had released the jailed souls of his daughter, Toga and himself. His two daughters were both dead, both taken from him in a brief second of time. Emptiness ripped through his heart, and anger coursed through his soul. He tried his best to hold onto his consciousness. Black dots flickered around the edges of his vision, but he pulled from his inner strength and tried to hold on. He wasn't going to pass from this world without taking Naraku down with him.

The dark hanyou turned to look with dread behind him at the two men that he had thought were defeated.

Toga was starting to stir, and color was returning to him. His skin had once been pale gray, but was now flushed.

Next to the dog demon, Takeshi was lying down and groaning. It was as if he had too much to drink and was now waking up in the morning, nursing a hangover.

The mafia boss noticed the gun in Takeshi's hand. He also knew that once the priest charged up the pistol with his purification powers, the mafia boss would look like the pile of ash beside him.

Naraku's legs suddenly made a decision for him, and he was rapidly running away from the two scenes of destruction. If he could only get to his boat in time… Once he got to the water, his scent would be hidden by salty waves. He only hoped that the band of seven were waiting for him there. He would need them not only for protection, but to drive the boat back to Japan.

* * *

Sesshoumaru looked with an abject gaze at the dust and dirt swirling around him. His eyes were glazed over as he stared into nothing.

Nothing was all he had now.

Rin was gone.

If he had only been a few seconds earlier, he could have at least shielded Rin from the blast that exploded right under her body-her fragile human body.

He looked at the ground and gazed into nothingness. Icy numbness enveloped his entire body as he shook his head. Perhaps, he could deny what he had seen. Perhaps he could pretend that nothing was wrong, that he had actually managed to get to Rin in time and that his brother had not managed to set off a trap that had exploded all around them.

Sesshoumaru was certain that the blast had killed both Rin and Kagome. After all, they were mere humans. But, his pig-headed brother was another matter. That bastard would certainly survive; he might be without an arm or leg, but he'd live. Nothing short of a decapitation would kill a hanyou.

The dog demon flexed his claws; green poison dripped from the ends of his talons. He was itching to slam his fist into Inuyasha's guts. The imbecile had managed to destroy the one thing he truly loved and cherished, and he was going to pay for it.

He tried to not think about what had just happened to Rin. How he would never see her face smiling up at him again, how he would never smell her lovely scent of clear waterfalls, how he would never make love to her again...

Sesshoumaru turned his head to the misty heavens above him and howled. A keening noise was heard over the secluded valley as his pain echoed against the rocks.

He had never felt a loss so complete before, a loss that ripped at his insides. Part of him wanted to tear out his own heart so that it wouldn't hurt so much. It felt like an icy spear had been shoved into his heart and that he was bleeding both hot blood and prickling cold water. His chest was tight, and his breath stuttered in his lungs.

The other part of him wanted to hold Rin's body in his arms, but he knew that the blast had denied him that one last right.

Warm trickles crept down his cheeks and dripped off of his chin. Sesshoumaru wiped off the offending moisture. Luckily, there was no one there to witness his emotional outburst.

"Oi! Sesshoumaru!"

A grimace of pain and murder erupted on the dog demon's face. His bastard brother had the gumption to try to talk to him after he had so recklessly killed his mate!

A cold sneer was on his lips as he flexed his claws in preparation for gutting his younger sibling.

Sesshoumaru rose from his crouch, prepared to lash out at his brother and take him down.

He was unprepared to see his smirking brother, with the Tessaiga held high above him and an iridescent red bubble surrounding him and two other forms. Another glance showed him that Kagome was clinging tight to Rin; his mate was passed out in the miko's arms.

Confusion must have pervaded his features.

"Blade barrier, you emo bastard," intoned Inuyasha with a cocky smile.

It took a few seconds for the disoriented dog demon to take in the scene in front of him. The dusty cloud that had obscured his vision had since cleared. There was still a gaping hole ripped from the earth in front of him. What had once been a grassy clearing was now splattered with fresh chunks of wet earth and sand.

In the middle of the chasm was a glimmering red sphere that contained a smirking hanyou, a miko and his mate. Rin was breathing in Kagome's arms as if nothing had happened.

Sesshoumaru knew that the Tessaiga had many signature attacks, but he had never thought that his ignoramus of a brother would ever have the ability to command the blade in such a manner. For once in Inuyasha's life, the idiot had managed to do something right.

Rin was not dead.

She was _alive_.

In less than a moment, the dog demon was at the edge of the pulsing barrier. Sesshoumaru all but commanded his younger brother, "Lower the shield, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's grin fell into a disgruntled frown as he lowered his arms, and the bubble surrounding the trio shimmered before dissipating into the air.

The dog demon heard Rin's soft sigh as she moved in her sister's arms.

He moved quicker than the human could track. Within seconds, the rope that had bound the girl had fallen at his feet and he had Rin clutched to his breast.

His head shook rapidly back and forth. He had come so close to losing her. But here she was, warm and soft in his arms. He swore to never let her out of his sight again.

He could hear Inuyasha's irritating voice as he held Rin in his arms. "Oi, Kagome, is that tears on his face?"

"Inuyasha, let them have a moment of peace," murmured the miko as she drew the hanyou away.

"But, this is a historical moment. He _never _cries!" protested his brother as Kagome led Inuyasha away, tugging at his arm.

"Hush, Inu..." said the miko, but her tone was now sultry.

Sesshoumaru tried to not hear his brother lip-smacking his girlfriend.

"Sess?" Rin's strained and timid voice pulled him out of his reverie. He pulled her body back and looked down at her confused countenance. "Where am I? Wait, I was at the club... Was I drugged?"

The small woman in his arms looked up in horror at his face. "Sesshoumaru, you've been crying..." Small hands reached up to cup his chin, and his tears fell against her palm. Rin's pained eyes looked up at the man she loved. Questions pervaded her features, but she knew enough not to ask, at least not right now. In her entire life, she had never seen him cry before.

She pulled his face closer to hers. His salty lips met her raw, chapped ones. Sesshoumaru drew her in even tighter and breathed into her. For a mere moment, he had wondered if this was real, but her warm lips were against his, her chest was sweetly encircled by his own.

She was real. She was here. She was safe.

His world was right again.

* * *

Takeshi looked up to see a steel gray sky and drifts of clouds. For a moment, he felt serene as he laid on the grass, but slowly, his senses started to return to him. There was the lingering smell of something burnt in the air and something salty, like the sea.

He sniffed and the scent of charred soil and sand assaulted his senses. Suddenly he remembered the moments before darkness overtook him.

_Rin! Kagome!_

Rin had been trussed up like a pig and then slaughtered like one as well. The ring of the explosion that had ended her life and her sister's echoed in his mind, reverberating in a deafening crescendo.

_No, my baby girls..._

He grabbed his own hair and tugged. If it had only been him instead. If he had only let Naraku know that he was still around, perhaps then his children would have been spared. He tried to keep the tears from building up, but they seeped into his eyes, making his vision blurry.

"Takeshi..."

Detective Higurashi had all but forgotten his comrade, Toga Takahashi, the dog demon. The man groaned and put his hands in front of his eyes, as if the sun was too bright for him to see despite the fog.

"What the hell happened, Takeshi?" grunted Toga as he tried to make out the misty island that surrounded him.

"My daughters, Rin...Kagome," choked the detective. "They're gone..."

The dog demon immediately stopped his questioning to focus on the scents around him. Toga took several tentative sniffs.

"What do you mean 'They're gone,' Takeshi? I can smell them," asked Toga in confusion.

The dog demon tried to get to his feet, but he stumbled like a drunk. Takeshi was a little more limber and poised. Despite the weariness that had settled into his bones, he still managed to get up and stumble back to the cliff where he had last seen his children before the explosion had destroyed his view.

Takeshi was never very comfortable with seeing his daughter being affectionate with Sesshoumaru. He knew that the two had consummated things before they were even wed, and it still rankled him. But for once, it didn't bother him that he was seeing Sesshoumaru kiss his daughter. From the look of the splattering of earth all around the duo, the dog demon must have rescued Rin just in time. And for that, he would be eternally grateful.

A few meters away from Rin was Kagome with Inuyasha. Takeshi's earlier happiness was mildly quelled by seeing his younger daughter passionately kissing Inuyasha. He shook his head. As much as he wished that the Takahashi brothers would keep their hands to themselves, for once he was too elated to change them into eunuchs.

He couldn't help himself as he cried out, "Rin! Kagome!" In his excitement, he had forgotten that both Rin and Kagome were still under the impression that he was dead.

Rin seemed to be utterly startled as she looked up the cliff-face to see her presumed dead father gazing down at her with both longing and love clearly marked on his features. Her face drained of color; it was as if she was looking at an apparition.

"Dad?" Both Rin and Takeshi turned to see Kagome looking up at her father with a stupefied expression on her face.

However, Kagome seemed the quickest at putting the discordant events together. "What? You're alive! Did Naraku have you all this time?"

"Keh. He's been hiding out for the past two years," answered Inuyasha with a knowing smirk.

Kagome's eyes narrowed and her lips drew into a tight line.

The smile that was on Inuyasha's lips froze. Kagome advanced upon him with a look of unmitigated anger. If this had been in the bedroom, Inuyasha would have considered himself a lucky guy. But since they were fully clothed and her father wasn't too far away, he now felt trapped. _Shit!_

"You knew that my father was alive and never bothered to tell me?" screamed Kagome as she moved within centimeters of Inuyasha's face.

"I-I fo-forgot. And with the bracelet and Rin's kidnapping, I had no time to..." stuttered Inuyasha.

"Don't you tell me that you had NO time to tell me my father was alive! Baka!"

Inuyasha's ears dipped down like a scolded puppy as he started to back away from the miko. Redness flamed in her cheeks and forehead. Her eyes widened, and her fingers jabbed at his chest.

Takeshi was not about to be bothered by inconsequential details. The fact that he had not told his two girls that he was alive escaped his thoughts. All he knew was that his daughters were dead and now they were alive.

He yelled at the groggy Toga to take him down the cliff and the dog demon complied.

Soon, the elated dad joined the two couples at the chasm at the bottom of the cliff.

Rin at first looked in wonder at her father before stumbling out of Sesshoumaru's grasp to make her way to her Dad.

Takeshi drew her to him with open arms and hugged the smaller girl.

"Rin. Rin," he murmured like a prayer. After squeezing her tighter he pulled away to look at her. He placed a hand on either side of her face and gazed at her with unconditional love.

The petite girl blinked and hugged her father back a warm smile on her face. "Dad, what happened? Why are you here?"

Soon another girl joined their midst. "Daddy?" asked Kagome. She had ended her tirade against Inuyasha and moved to join her sibling and father. The miko put her arms around both of them and drew them to her.

Takeshi smiled down at Kagome. He was greeted with tear filled coffee eyes and a watery smile.

The younger girl sniffed and wiped her nose with her long, white sleeve. When she looked back up at her father, adoration turned into concern, which quickly morphed into indignation.

"Why is it that Inuyasha knew you were alive, but you never told us?" asked the girl with eyes filled with fury.

Rin drew back in shock. "Inuyasha? What?" She turned around puzzled, before seeing the hanyou looking at them sheepishly. "What? He knew?" The smaller girl pointed her finger at Inuyasha and then whirled around to glare at her Dad.

Words erupted from Rin that were so loud that they seemed incongruent to her small frame. "You told HIM and not us?"

Kagome went from jabbing Inuyasha to poking at her Dad. Rin was still yelling and Kagome was just starting to warm up with her new rant.

Another man would have been overwhelmed with two Higurashi girls yelling at him. But all Takeshi could do was to throw his head back and laugh. "It's good to be back with you girls," he exclaimed. "It's good to be home again."

His statement caught the girls in mid-sentence; anger that was on their lips seemed to dissipate into the air. Kagome caught her trembling lip with her teeth and Rin appeared on the verge of tears. With another strangled cry, both girls wailed out their Dad's name, and hugged him as if they would never let him go.

Kouga chose this very moment to run up to the gathered group. Confusion suffused his features as he looked at Kagome and a girl that he could only assume was Rin, clutching some man he had never seen before.

"Oi. Did I miss something?" asked the wolf demon.

* * *

Naraku's breath was heaving as he jogged along the misty gray shoreline. His feet squelched into the wet sand, and his legs ached with the effort of running on such a difficult surface.

His private yacht was in a secluded cove; it had been secured there as a get-away vehicle weeks beforehand. It had lost the subtle marking of scent that a dog demon like Sesshoumaru could trace. It was an almost fool-proof means of escape.

"Start damn you..." muttered someone ahead of him. Sputters of an engine crested and fell as he drew closer. He could smell the fumes of gasoline and smoke. So much for losing all traces of scents that could be tracked...

He ran into the watery cave, finding his yacht and Renkotsu near the engine, attempting to start the motor. The bald man wearing mercenary armor had his back to him.

"You won't be able to start the engine without my help," intoned Naraku as he slithered forward.

The bald man whipped his head around. Two oblong purple tattoos ran down the sides of his face from just above his eyes to his jawline. It almost looked like two purple flames were creeping up each side of his visage. His eyes narrowed.

"Making sure that none of us leave if you didn't survive, Naraku?" asked the man with barely concealed annoyance.

Naraku chuckled. "Now, now Renkotsu... I was only making sure that none of you tried to escape without me. Apparently, my foresight paid off," the mafia boss paused while surveying the scene. Weapons were piled into the boat. Renkotsu even had an 'over-the-shoulder' grenade launcher ready. Considering the stench of the gas fumes, he had actually been trying to get away from the island for quite some time.

The dark hanyou smirked as he made his way to the front of the boat and the steering wheel. "Now remember, Renkotsu. We're in this together. This boat won't start without me, and we won't get away without a diversion."

Renkotsu's eyes narrowed, and his lips twitched. He was trying hard not to frown. It was difficult to read his boss. You seldom knew if a small infraction might cost you your life and certainly trying to escape an island with the only boat in the vicinity could be grounds for death. However, he knew that he would need Naraku's help to escape. Certainly, that was what the dark hanyou had planned all along. Unless he was saved, none of them would survive. The mercenary should have realized earlier why the boat wouldn't start, even with the keys in the ignition.

A small, shaky smile grew on Renkotsu's face. Sometimes, it was better to lie down with the devil than to take chances with the unknown.

Naraku's lips twitched with a thin grin as he brought out a few wooden golems from the glove compartment in the front of the boat. Each small wooden figure had a wisp of black hair tied to it. Using his own magic along with voodoo he had perfected, he was able to give his own abilities to the creatures. It should be just enough to allow them to disappear into the sea. If they managed to get to North Korea, he knew that his business associates could be convinced to help them get back to Japan.

However, the main problem was evading a dog demon who could fly and who had a sharp nose. He had to get as far away from the island as possible in a very short time. The sea air would quickly obscure their trail, as only water could do, but only if he could delay their pursuers…

* * *

Takeshi held his daughters closely, squeezing their small frames into his bulkier one. It had been so long since he had been in their presence. He had been trailing Kagome and Rin, but he hadn't been able to touch them or hear their voices up close. He smelled the tang of their salty tears and pulled them even closer.

"Rin-chan...Kagome-chan...I'm so sorry," murmured Takeshi into their long, dark hair. He held them and tried to breathe in their presence for a few more precious moments. However, he knew that Naraku's trail could turn cold far too quickly if there was a delay.

The policeman hugged his daughters one last time before turning his face to Toga. He noticed that the dog demon was pale and waxen, however the man obviously enjoyed seeing his good friend finally being reunited with his daughters. The edges of Toga's lips curved upward as he looked at the trio.

"Toga can you trace Naraku's scent?" inquired the detective without preamble.

The dog demon's smile widened, and fangs peeked out over his lips. "Do Shinto priests wear funny hats?"

Takeshi grinned back at his friend. "Point taken." He thumbed the sky as if he was a hitchhiker. "Lead the way."

Toga's body quickly bulged and morphed. Gray hair leapt from his frame, and soon, a gargantuan canine appeared where a silver-haired man once stood.

Not wanting any delays, Takeshi scrambled onto the dog demon's back, clutching tufts of silver fur as he made his way up the crouching demon.

Kagome tapped on Inuyasha's shoulder. Her brown eyes looked up at him with a knowing smile, as she hitched her quiver of arrows securely to her back. The hanyou sighed as he took off his robes of the fire rat and secured the loose jacket around her shoulders. Then, he squatted to the ground in front of her and held out his hands to his side so that he could clutch his girl to his body.

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother and his girlfriend running off into the thick of the action and then turned to Rin, who was grinning up at him from his side. The young woman's eyes sparkled in merriment as she held up both of her hands to the taller lord.

The dog demon's thin eyebrow twitched in discomfort. A slight tic seemed to develop at he edge of his clenched jaw. He seemed at war with himself until his golden eyes stopped their struggle and alighted on Rin's smiling chocolate orbs.

Without further delay, Sesshoumaru looked up and then his face stretched out into a snout. His body lengthened and fur erupted over his long form. Then the large dog lowered his pink nose to the petite woman in front of him. With a grin, the smaller girl climbed past the bridge of his nose, before settling just behind his floppy, silvered ears. With Rin on his back, the dog demon sped off after his companions.

The scent trail led the group to a small beachhead. Drifting fog meandered past their vision, and waves lapped against the sand and rock. Toga spearheaded the group in his dog demon form, cautiously moving forward.

There was no warning as a series of explosions started to burst around the group. Flashes of light erupted around them, pushing the fog away. The smell of black smoke and burnt seaweed permeated the salty air.

Through the thick smoke, Inuyasha could make out wavering forms and black tentacles that undulated in the gray-mist.

Inuyasha sniffed, "Naraku..." He let Kagome drop off his back and readied his Tessaiga. He made sure that his body was directly in front of Kagome. She was wearing his robe of the fire rat, but he still wasn't going to risk her safety.

"Stay behind me, Kagome," Inuyasha ordered as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

The miko behind him steadied her breath while cocking an arrow to her bow. Inuyasha's larger form blocked everything but the path of her arrow.

Next to them, two huge silvered dogs trampled down on the sand dunes. Sesshoumaru snarled above them in his dog form and then rushed forward. Toga stopped quickly to drop off Takeshi next to Kagome before he lumbered forward, his large canine jaw open, frothing with anticipation.

Kouga followed quickly behind the two dog demons, his speed throwing his form into the enshrouding mists.

Inuyasha's body tensed as his demon senses told him that an attack was nigh. Suddenly, large, black tentacles tried to shoot past him in order to kill the two priests beside the hanyou. He used the sharp edge of his blade to sever the dark appendages while grabbing his girl and her father close to his chest and leaping high over the sandbanks.

The creature he was fighting howled as purple fluid oozed from its wounds, but it managed to send more arms out in an attempt to spear its victims.

A silvered blade flashed in the air, cutting the offending tentacles off. By this time, Detective Higurashi and Kagome felt safe enough to ignore the attacks and to start their own offensive.

As a team, father and daughter stood tall, side-by-side on an embankment close to the gray-green sea. On one side was a detective in a black trench coat, and on the other, a miko in white and red robes. Both held out their weapons with steady arms. The detective's pistol glowed like a white-hot poker, while Kagome's arrow flickered with shimmering flames.

Their combined aim honed in on the dark youkai aura that enshrouded the area. Without even seeing their target, they fired into the mist, their sixth sense guiding them. Sparks of light erupted within the cloudy banks, followed by a horrendous chorus of inhuman screams.

Toga and Sesshoumaru had already sprinted into the haze, their demonic, glowing red eyes seeing far more than human eyes ever could. Within the smoke and misty sea air were hundreds of writhing black forms, tentacles waving in the air like seaweed within the ocean current.

Rin was still held tight against Sesshoumaru's back; her eyes were wide with fear as she looked down to see huge canine maws bite into the writhing black forms, ripping the flesh apart.

Toga took the flank while Sesshoumaru stayed behind to finish up the work that his father had started. Fighting demons was always dangerous, but the father was doing his best to make sure that the son would not place Rin at any unnecessary risk.

Kagome notched another arrow, her bowstring pulled taut. "Dad, what are these things?" she asked while gesturing with her arrow toward the inky forms wavering in the mist.

"Golems," answered Takeshi with absolute surety as he charged up another gunshot with his spiritual powers. "Naraku visited the Caribbean and learned some voodoo. He found a way to make copies of himself via magic. What we are attacking is not him. I am quite sure that this is a diversion while the coward is trying escape."

"Fucking diversion!" snorted Inuyasha as he felled another round of tentacles that were trying to overtake their position. "We can't possibly find him with this shit stopping us."

Kagome and Takeshi fired another volley together, a white cannon of light shooting into the mist before exploding in a menagerie of wrought flesh and viscous purple liquid.

The silver Tessaiga flashed again, leaving quivering black tentacles and dark blood oozing at their feet. For the briefest of moments there was an oppressive silence, save the growls and roars of the dog demons ripping their enemy apart.

Then suddenly, a roar of a boating engine could be heard shooting away from the din of the battle; it was loud enough for even a human to hear.

"Fuck! He's getting away!" screamed Inuyasha. Gasoline and burnt fuel tainted the salty sea air. His first impulse was to chase after the boat. His body had leaned forward in the direction of the departing craft, but he felt something behind him tugging at his heart, pulling him back.

Inuyasha turned in misery to face his miko. "Kagome," he pleaded. "I need to go after Naraku, but I don't want to..."

"Go," commanded Detective Takeshi. "I can protect my own flesh and blood."

Indecision played on Inuyasha's face as his eyes bounced back and forth between Kagome and the battle that was raging around them. "I..."

Kagome stepped forward, letting her bow drop to her side. She kissed his cheek. "I'll be right here, waiting for you when you get back." His girl moved back to her father, who then stood defensively in front of his daughter.

Inuyasha nodded, looking Takeshi in the eye. The older man returned the gesture before the hanyou bounded off; each leap was so powerful that it almost looked like he was flying.

Explosions echoed behind as Inuyasha left the area, but he kept his eyes firmly in front of him, trusting Kagome's Dad to keep his daughter safe. He quickly tracked a speedboat that was cresting over the small waves near the shoreline, trying to escape the island.

"No fucking escape for you, asshole," yelled the hanyou as he jumped again, giving him a birds-eye view of the boat.

Just as Inuyasha made out two figures on the boat, he also noticed a gleam of metal and a large cylinder over the shoulder of one of the figures. Smoke erupted from the back of the over-the-shoulder rocket launcher, and fire and metal spewed out of the front. It was zooming toward him.

"Shit!" Inuyasha didn't have anytime to think. His sword was held firmly in his hands and all he knew was that he needed protection against the incoming onslaught. His Tessaiga glowed ruby-red, and just as the rocket was about to take him to the afterlife, a claret colored sphere formed around the hanyou.

Inuyasha flinched instinctively, his arms covering his face, as the rocket blasted around him in a cacophonous array of sound, light and rent metal.

He was barely able to pull in a shuddered breath before the forces of gravity started to pull him down into the unforgiving ocean. "Fuck!"

The hanyou was in a free-fall. He was expecting the jarring feeling of hitting the water's surface. So he was very surprised to feel the momentum of a rollercoaster ride, the sensation of falling down an incline and then suddenly being wrenched back upward into another crest.

It took only a second for Inuyasha to get his bearings before he noticed that the red barrier encircling him was now in the jaws of a dog demon. The hanyou could feel the familiar aura of his father surrounding him.

A large silvered dog ran over the sea with a red ball in his maw, looking like a playful puppy that wanted to play fetch.

"Keh! Thanks, Dad," Inuyasha muttered as he tried to get a bearing on what was happening. Before he could get his equilibrium, the large dog threw the ball into the air. Inuyasha free-fell one more time before letting the barrier go, to fall onto the huge creature's back.

He gripped the rough silver fur with one hand and held out his Tessaiga with the other.

"Take me closer to the boat, I want to belt out a Wind Scar."

The dog below him barked in agreement, maneuvering the two of them so that Inuyasha would have a clear view of the boat below them.

Within the confines of the boat, Renkoutsu was getting ready to shoot off another rocket. The mercenary was trying to quickly shove a large missile into the launcher. Naraku was at the steering wheel, blatantly ignoring his comrade who was doing his best to keep the demons off of their trail.

"Not this time fucker!" screamed Inuyasha as he brought up his Tessaiga high over his head. Images of a girl with the eyes of a doe drifted into his mind and then an even stronger desire to protect erupted from his frame. Energy coalesced and then spread along his sword. He drew the Tessaiga down in a graceful arc.

"Wind Scar!"

It was almost as if white lightening had exploded from the giant fang. The crackling energy converged on the small speedboat below them. Neither the boat, nor Renkotsu ever had a chance of survival.

Naraku morphed into a black octopus-like creature and slithered into the sea, mere moments before the boat splintered into fragments of wood, plastic, metal, and exploding gasoline.

Spewed oil and gas stained the water, and the ripped up remains of the boat bobbed in the open sea.

"Shit, where is he?" questioned Inuyasha as he tugged on his father's floppy ears in an attempt to move closer to where Naraku had disappeared.

The huge canine made several passes over the water, but all Inuyasha could see was the wreckage and swirling gray-green.

Seconds drew into minutes while the pair searched the sea's surface. An eerie calmness seemed to settle over the seascape as they tried to make out Naraku's form.

As the dog demon sprinted across the waves one last time, huge blackened tentacles erupted from the sea, looking like an ancient leviathan that had emerged from a watery grave.

Slick, ebony appendages shot out of the ocean waves to seek the hanyou on the dog demon's back.

Inuyasha was barely able to hold his Tessaiga firmly in his grip before he was pulled down into the deep waters. A tentacle wrapped around his throat, another trying to rip his sword from his grasp and another firmly wrapped around his waist.

Bubbles gurgled from his throat as Inuyasha thrashed about in the larger demon's grasp. He felt like a sailor of old, swallowed up by a great sea creature, and just like the ancient mariners, he was being dragged down into the watery depths.

The light from the surface seemed farther and farther away with each passing second. Naraku was moving like an octopus; his tentacled form was completely at home in the sea. His enormous arms expanded and contracted with the sea waves, propelling the two of them to greater and greater oceanic depths.

Inuyasha pulled against the tentacle that was choking him, but it wouldn't let go of its prey. If he could only free his sword enough to swing...

He was feeling light headed as they moved with even swifter speeds toward the bottom of the ocean. The hanyou was starting to see blackened spots appear before his eyes as he tried to hang onto consciousness.

Using his one free hand to claw against the tentacle that held his sword arm fast, he was able to slice through it.

Inky blood gushed out of the wound and into the darkened waters. He felt his arm grow slack and then he managed to shake the tentacle from it.

Even though his mind had started to grow heavy with sleep, he drew up his sword one last time and gurgled out a 'Wind Scar' that was directed at the leviathan directly below him.

As the sudden onslaught of energy exploded under him, he could feel the force pushing him back up to the surface while the creature below him was shredded into rent flesh and blood.

Just as the hanyou felt his final moments of consciousness slip away from his grasp, a huge maw caught him in the water's depths, tugging him upward and bringing him away from his premature watery grave and Naraku's final resting place.

Suddenly, water no longer surrounded him and air made its way into his aching lungs. He heaved up some seawater before gasping for breath.

"Thanks...Dad," Inuyasha managed to say as he patted the back of the huge creature that was taking him back to the shoreline.

Inuyasha felt weak as he clutched onto his father's mane. The dog demon quickly loped to the shoreline, attempting to rejoin their companions in battle.

Though he wasn't fully present, Inuyasha did notice that it was far too silent for what was once a large battle. With the death of Naraku, the dark hanyou's golems had withered away into nothing. Inuyasha raised a weary head from his father's back to gaze at the misty beach.

Rin was clambering down Sesshoumaru's back, her feet hitting the wet sand. Then his brother's form began to morph, his long snout shrinking back into a human face, his fur receding until only smooth skin and a white kimono covered his body.

As Toga landed, Inuyasha also managed to drag his exhausted body off of his Dad's canine form. Once his feet hit the soil and he saw Kagome's bright face smiling at him, he knew that everything was going to be all right.

He struggled to keep upright as he walked over to Kagome. All he needed was to hold her in his arms and smell her skin and hair. He needed a physical verification for what his eyes were telling him.

Just as he neared the miko, Takeshi shoved her aside. For a brief second, the detective's body occupied the same space that Kagome's had once been. At that instant, the remnants of one of Naraku's golems exploded; its force rocked the beachhead, and shrapnel blasted everywhere.

Inuyasha's eyes could only track the form of the detective as the man flew backward into the air, as if a huge sumo wrestler had picked up the man's body and thrown it aside. Blood flew from the man's mouth as he arched in the air, leaving a bloody trail that followed him until he hit the wet sand with a resounding smack.

"No!" screamed Kagome. The girl tried to turn around and reach for her father, but Inuyasha caught her in his arms, holding her fast to his chest. Her arms flailed about as she tried to reach for something that was too far away for her to grasp. "Let me go!" she screamed as she thrashed in Inuyasha's embrace.

Inuyasha sniffed his girlfriend's hair, bringing her bouquet into his nose and lungs. He needed her scent to ground him. Hugging her was as much for him as it was for her. He barely heard Rin wailing in the background as well, yelling at Sesshoumaru to let her go.

Eventually, Kagome stopped thrashing. Her screams became wails and then sobs. Her body started to still. Then she was no longer hitting him or asking Inuyasha to let her go. Now she was clutching his wet kosode, his red robe of the fire rat still on her shoulders.

Inuyasha was grateful for not only Takeshi's sacrifice, but for his robes that had protected her from the explosion.

His miko became lax in his arms and her tears were now intermixed with the salty water that permeated his clothes. Now his arms were no longer holding her to him, instead they were propping her up. Kagome's knees had almost given out, and she swayed within his steady embrace.

Neither Inuyasha nor Kagome noticed her Dad sit up and take a ragged breath.

"Dammit! This was my favorite coat!" moaned Takeshi as he looked down at the shredded remains of his black trench coat.

Kagome gasped in her boyfriend's arms and looked at her father with wide-eyes. Inuyasha peered down to see silvered metal bars peeking out from rent black fabric that encircled the man's torso. The whole time the detective had been wearing a bullet proof vest. The vest was obviously no longer any good, but it had managed to keep the wearer in one piece.

"Shit! I broke some ribs!" Takeshi moaned as he clutched at his sides. Then his brown eyes took in the scene around him. His girls had tears in their eyes and each daughter was held by one of the Takahashi brothers.

The man's eyes narrowed as he spoke to the surprised crowd. "Get your hands off my girls!" Takeshi commanded before he passed out on the beachhead.

* * *

_Thoughtful, constructive reviews are appreciated and are what spurs us on to write more and to post chapters at a quicker pace. :-)_

* * *

_**Next Chapter:**__ The epilogue and what sort of mischief can Inuyasha and Kouga get into with gender-changing bracelets.__.__.? (It is already written, we're just going to give our betas a little longer to edit it. We actually had the epilogue finished before this chapter was done. Ai actually started it six months ago!)_

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: Ai would like to thank Sgt. Giselle who told her a few harrowing tales of his tours in Iraq and Afghanistan over Christmas break. The scene in this chapter with Detective Takeshi and his flak jacket come directly from Sgt. Giselle's description of what happened to him in Iraq. Sgt. Giselle was thrown 6 feet into the air when rifle fire hit his body armor, he broke five ribs and the actual bullet didn't fully pierce his jacket, but intruded enough to leave a scar and bloodied his chest._

_#2: We're sorry that this chapter took so long to write. But we hope that we are forgiven when the epilogue shows up in a week or two...or maybe even less if we get some thoughtful reviews..._

_#3: Is Ai the only one who thinks that Naraku really looks like a squid/octopus demon (rather than a spider demon)?_

_#4: Ai and Kara would like to thank Ananova for nominating 'He's My Girl' for Best Comedy with the Inuyasha Fan Guild._


	23. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **We only use the Inuyasha characters for our own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when we are done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and we make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters.

_Warnings: Foul language, nudity and some brief lemony goodness._

_Special thanks to our awesome betas: SplendentGoddess and King Baka_

_Written by Ai Kisugi and Karaumea_

**Chapter 23: Epilogue**

Inuyasha slouched to the side with a scowl on his face while he watched Detective Higurashi conduct the media debriefing. He hated crowds almost as much as he hated formalities. There were too many scents in such a closed space; it made him nauseous.

Since this was a formal occasion, he was wearing his father's bright red robe of the fire-rat. His fuzzy dog-like ears twitched as his golden eyes scanned the room.

There were television cameras from all over Japan filming the teleconference as well as a few crews from South Korea, North Korea, China, and Russia. Other nations had become interested in Naraku's untimely demise when it had been disclosed that the late mob boss had a drug cartel that smuggled drugs into Japan via the Japan Sea. Their borders had been compromised as well.

Kagome stood in her red and white miko's robes to his side and held the hanyou's hand. Sesshoumaru stood stiffly on his other side. His brother was wearing his ceremonial white kimono with red imperial crests gracing his left shoulder and billowing white hakama pants. The taiyoukai hovered over Rin, who seemed so dainty and small next to his larger frame. The smaller woman was dressed in a simple orange kimono with a green obi around her slim waist. Little white flowers adorned her jet-black hair, and her brown eyes glowed with happiness.

The detective continued to speak. "It was through the efforts of both myself and an inside operative that worked at Naraku's 'Seventh Heaven' club that we were able to uncover the evidence that has shut down not only his brothel in Tokyo, but also his drug trade that extended into China and the Koreas."

Inuyasha glanced at Rin-the inside girl who had gathered the evidence that helped her father end the drug and prostitute ring that Naraku had been spearheading. Sesshoumaru squeezed her shoulders as if to make sure that she was safe and within arms reach. The girl sighed in contentment and leaned back into him.

The hanyou's grimace deepened when he glanced at his elder brother. All he could remember at the moment was when he had gone to Sesshoumaru's office, lured by an offer of help-an offer that had turned out to be a curse. The hated object that had cursed him into looking like a girl was jingling in his pants pocket. He felt the cool beads against the skin of his hand and the most bizarre image flashed in his mind. He imagined what Sesshoumaru would look like as a girl. Would he still have the same haughty countenance? Would he have the same breasts and curves that Inuyasha had been cursed with? Would men give him the same unwanted attention that he had been forced to bear?

The edges of his lips curved into a devilish smirk. _Fuck, this is way too tempting to pass up._

He gripped the bracelet one last time before facing his brother. He held out his hand. "No hard feelings, right brother?"

Sesshoumaru looked at Inuyasha's hand curiously, as if it was one of the most bizarre objects that he had ever come across.

Rin nudged him when the older sibling paused. "It's not right to have bad blood between brothers."

The taiyoukai sighed, though he wondered why they couldn't just bow to each other and get it over with. Shaking hands seemed so…western… so alien…

With a sense of trepidation that he tried to quell, he held out his hand. He would do almost anything to please Rin. At first it was a simple handshake, but then he felt something cold slip over his wrist.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his fiancée only to notice that her eyes were widened in both horror and astonishment.

"What are you staring at?" he muttered. Then he brought his taloned hand to his throat. His voice! It was no longer his commanding, imperial tones, but something feminine and bubbly. He looked down in horror at his hands. His claws were now painted a disturbing shade of bubblegum-pink.

"No," Sesshoumaru spoke in horror. He blanched when the silly girlish tones came from his mouth. The very punishment he had brought upon Inuyasha was now tormenting him.

He turned to find his troublesome brother and his miko were now gone. With steadfast boldness he made his way to the door that the hanyou must have left through.

The dog demon barely noticed the voice of Rin's father booming over the room. He heard his name, that of his obnoxious brother, that of his equally annoying wolf friend, and even the miko's name was mentioned. Then, cacophony erupted. Flashes of light were now centering on him. Microphones were being shoved into his face. He nearly growled and was only stilled by Rin's hand squeezing his.

A reporter from Tokyo TV pressed him with a question. "Tell me, uhh… Sesshoumaru-sama… How did you help to take down Naraku?"

He couldn't help but to overhear another spectator who blurted out. "Is that really a guy? He looks like a hot chick!"

Other microphones were being shoved into his face and Rin's. The wolf demon, his brother and the miko were absent from the pandemonium that was erupting. He growled in warning, but his feminine growls ended up sounding more like a sexy purr.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, your meterosexual look is to die for."

"He's gotta be a girl or a really good drag queen!" muttered another reporter.

The dog demon tried to pull up his kimono to prevent his evidently large bosom from falling out of his top. Rin's face was still plastered in shock at Sesshoumaru's new-found look and couldn't help but to gape at him. The blatant stare of not only his mate, but of most of the guys in the room did nothing to ease his discomfort.

Another microphone was thrust into his face. "So Sesshoumaru-sama, is this just part of the new bi-shonen look that guys are sporting these days?"

"Get out of my way!" the dog demoness bellowed in utter outrage. However, this did nothing to quell the rising tide of reporters and admirers from forming around Sesshoumaru.

* * *

Kagome shook her head in exasperation as she trailed along behind her boyfriend, who was walking away from the conference room. "You really shouldn't have done that, Inuyasha." She tried to frown, but Inuyasha looked far too pleased with himself. In fact, he almost looked like he was about to whistle.

He shrugged and placed his hands behind his head. "It's not like I'll leave it on him forever. I figure a week or two will be enough for justice to be served."

"Two weeks?" she gasped. "You can't do that to your own brother!"

Inuyasha almost rolled his eyes. "Look, wench. He was going to leave it on me for an entire year! Two weeks is nothing."

His girlfriend took a deep breath. "You never had to wear it for an entire year. You were only stuck looking like a girl for…how long was it exactly? Two months?"

"More or less," said Inuyasha while frowning.

His miko slid up next to him, her lips hovering near his. He suddenly had an overwhelming urge to not only kiss her, but to prove to her how very male he really was.

"Then," she said breathlessly. Her lips touched his gently, and she nibbled on his lower lip. She kissed him chastely on the mouth before moving her lips along his jaw line. She whispered into his skin. "Maybe you can be a little more forgiving. Two days…?"

He suddenly tensed. "No fucking way!" he yelled. "That arrogant prick had Kouga and me suffering for two months, and all he has to do is look like a girl for two damned days?"

Kagome quirked a brow. "Like Rin said, bad blood between brothers is never good." She kissed his neck. She knew the very spot that made him weak. Warm lips chanced upon his pulse point, and he could do nothing but moan.

"Maybe four days will do…" he croaked as her lips nibbled their way up his neck and back to his lips.

The only response this had from his miko was a gentle humming before her lips found his again. Then, he was lost in the moment and forgot that he was in a crowded police building. Her body was feather light against his, and she simply wasn't close enough. He pulled her to him, his hands encompassing her smaller frame. Her sweet, soft curves pressed against his hard, angular body. He tuned out the world until an insistent exclaimation became too much to ignore.

"Where's Shaya? And who are you, her brother or something?"

With exasperation and anger, Inuyasha disentangled himself from his miko's lips. "What in the hell do you want?" he barked back. Then, he noticed who he was yelling at and stiffened as an old, irrational fear suddenly took over.

Hiten was staring at him with a questioning look on his face. At least the demon was not looking at him as if he were a tasty dish.

He scowled and gently pushed Kagome behind his back. Hiten had never made a play for Kagome until he had kissed her as 'Shaya,' but he wasn't about to take any chances.

The demon stepped back and scratched his neck as if he were nervous. "I…uh… I just wanted to know if Shaya was around. I heard from the news that her brothers were here. I was hoping that she might be here, too."

Inuyasha groaned. He really didn't want to deal with lovesick letches like Hiten today.

Kagome made her way to his side and spoke directly to Hiten. "She left to America after Naraku threatened her brother. Everyone thought she would be safer there. And she…" Kagome paused to smile winsomely at Inuyasha. "She found someone there. His name is…"

The miko's brow was furrowed as she tried to come up with a name. "Kajiro," answered Inuyasha. "They're engaged."

Kagome's soft and warm smile found Inuyasha's again. The couple barely heard a chorus of saddened 'Nos' punctuate the air. The miko turned around in surprise to see the dejected face of her younger brother, Souta. He must have followed them out of the courtroom. His soulful brown eyes looked up at her as if his favorite puppy dog had just died.

Hiten looked equally distraught. His blue eyes widened in alarm. "No! She was the perfect woman for me. There'll never be another woman like her! I have to stop that wedding! Where is she in America?" he demanded with wild eyes.

Kagome took a deep breath before she attempted to respond. However, Inuyasha spoke before she could come up with another excuse.

He had the most wicked grin gracing his features as he stepped forward and whispered conspiratorially. "Shaya's already mated to a very powerful taiyoukai. So, forget about her. But, I have another sister…"

Kagome's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare, Inuyasha."

The hanyou only smirked while Hiten held onto his every word. "Her name is 'Maru,' and she's in the conference room down the hall. You can't miss her. Long silver hair, golden eyes, white kimono…"

Both Hiten and Souta looked at the closed door down the hallway just as a maddened crowd burst out and spilled into the adjoining corridor.

Spearheading the group was a supernaturally lovely demoness. Her features were utter perfection; she looked like a goddess that had fallen to earth. Her long silvered hair fell nearly to her delicate ankles, her skin was as pale as moonlight and her bright honeyed eyes shone with fury. She screamed above the crowd, "Inuyasha!"

Her cheeks were flushed red, and the beautiful blush extended down into the exposed valley between her large breasts. The girl's heaving cleavage was barely contained by her kimono. If she twisted just a little she'd fall right out of her top and those large bosoms would be exposed to the world. Hiten could only wonder why she was wearing such an ill-fitting kimono, since her clothes screamed aristocracy. However, he was not about to complain about the view.

Maru was even more gorgeous than Shaya, if that were even possible, and the woman showed such passion. What would she be like in bed if her mere brother could get her so riled up? Hiten licked his lips and strode forward purposefully to meet the girl of his dreams.

"Time to get out of here," muttered Inuyasha as he swung Kagome onto his back and quickly dashed out the front doors. If Sesshoumaru could get away from the crowd, he was sure that he'd have a fight on his hands. But, he was quite certain that Hiten would cause enough of a delay that he would be able to get away scot-free. Now, he just needed to get Kagome and himself lost in Tokyo's subways so that Sesshoumaru could lose their scent. "Good luck, Maru," Inuyasha chuckled as he exited the building.

* * *

Kouga tried his best to hide his guffaws in the courtroom. It had been unnerving, if not downright unmanly to have played the role of a girl for the past two months, but to see Sesshoumaru turned into a chick and to see the horrified look on his face when the taiyoukai finally realized that he looked like a girl had been infinitely satisfying. Now, if he could only hold his guts in. He was laughing so hard that they seemed to be in danger of falling out.

It was through the tears in his eyes that he finally spied a bright lock of coppery-red hair in the courtroom.

"Kori?" Ayame cried out as she wandered around the building.

Kouga could only wipe the accumulated tears from his eyes as he made his way over to his roommate. Mirth filled his frame until he tapped on Ayame's shoulder. The girl quickly whipped her head around, and the emerald green eyes that had once looked at him with genuine friendship seemed to simmer in rage at the sight of him.

"Who are you?" she muttered in agitation.

Kouga only drew her closer to him and gripped her hand to his chest. His clear, bright blue eyes gazed into hers. But the joy that had erupted in his gut earlier seemed to be mitigated by the stony stare that she gave him. For once in his life, the wolf demon seemed unsure of himself. He had never been anything other than a cocky bastard around women, but this girl in front of him did things to him that he couldn't even name. His stomach felt like he had just been on a roller-coaster ride. What seemed balanced, was suddenly off-kilter. For some reason, he craved that out of focus feeling and the presence of this demoness.

"I'm Kouga..." murmured the wolf demon as he finally looked down at the girl he had wanted for a long time. Finally, he was standing in front of her as a man.

The redhead pulled away from him, grousing about his lack of boundaries. "I don't care who you are..." she started to protest, but then she paused and looked into his eyes. They were the exact same eyes of her roommate's, the same crystalline blue orbs that she had wiped tears away from, and there was a tenderness to these eyes that she had never seen in a man before.

Puzzlement drew over her features, and she furrowed her brow. "Your eyes..." she declared while suddenly moving closer to peer at the boy's features. Everything about him seemed to remind her of Kori. The eyes were the same, so was the long raven hair that was tied in a ponytail, the height and even the tan skin. The only difference was the masculine form in front of her. There was no mistaking the broad shoulders, the sinewy biceps and his Adam's apple. If it wasn't for those features, she would have thought her roommate was right before her.

"You look like my roommate..."

"Kori?" the wolf demon answered with a grin as he held her hands to himself again.

"Hey!" Ayame declared as she pulled her arms away. "Why in the hell are you so grabby?"

"Maybe it's because I finally found a woman who is irresistible," smirked the wolf demon. He tried one of his most disarming smiles on his former roommate, the one that usually had women throwing themselves at him.

"I don't have the time to submit to your stupid come-ons, jack-ass..."

Kouga didn't have time to even think as he felt the power of the beads of subjugation pulling his face down to kiss the floor. Soon his body was intimately acquainted with the hard concrete surface of the courtroom, his body spread out in surrender.

"Why the hell are you...?" The red-headed wolf demon paused to ascertain why Kouga was sprawled out on the floor in front of her.

Her head cocked to the side as she looked down. She quickly dropped to her knees and fingered the beaded necklace that held Kouga so firmly to the floor. "This looks just like the necklace the headmistress gave Kori...and the word that the old babaa used on her was..." Ayame hesitated for a moment longer before she muttered the word slowly over Kouga's prone form. "...submit..."

"Urk!" was the only sound out of Kouga's mouth as he felt his body draw itself flat against the hard surface underneath him.

The wolf demoness fingered her very own collar of subjugation as she continued to speak. "Why are you wearing Kori's beads of subjugation? Those beads can never be removed unless the person who put them on removes them...and old babaa would never..."

Ayame shook her head as she watched the handsome wolf demon in front of her try to slowly peel himself off of the cold, stone floor.

Kouga turned his eyes toward her, and she swallowed hard. The wolf demon looked too much like her missing roommate, and now he was wearing the very beads that Kaede had put on Kori-beads that also had the very same command word.

"I...I am Kori," choked out the wolf demon. "I mean, I used to be..."

"What in the hell do you mean that you used to be Kori!" yelled Ayame. There was no way that her sweet roommate who had been horribly taken advantage of by a man could be the guy in front of her.

"I...I…" Kouga had never really stumbled over his words before. But, his attempt at trying to explain to his sexy roommate why he had actually been a girl living with her these past two months wasn't something that he could easily articulate. "I was being punished. I'm really a guy. They made me wear this bracelet that made me look like a girl!"

"You!" the girl in front of him seethed. "You lived with me for two months and you were a guy? You saw me getting undressed!"

Kouga was usually honest, even if it was not to his advantage. "Actually, I really wanted to see you naked, but you never..."

"Submit!" screeched the red-head.

"Shit!" exclaimed Kouga as he met the ground again.

* * *

Kouga had to admit, the agreement that he had finally reached with Ayame had a few restrictions, but right now, he couldn't find it in himself to care.

He was lying on his futon in their shared dorm room, her naked form riding him. He had never explored this particular position before. But, he wasn't exactly going to argue about it either.

She slapped him in the face again, but all he could do was grip her bare thighs to him as the tantalizing demoness rode him from above. She had been barking out the 'submit' command repeatedly, and he really couldn't move-not that he really minded.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" she yelled as she moved her hips over him in an undulating motion.

"Yes, Ayame," murmured Kouga in acquiescence. Who was he to argue with a girl riding his cock and milking him for all that he was worth? There were certainly worse ways to be controlled.

Ayame had been through a lot of things in her short life. Kouga had already guessed that she had been sexually assaulted, and now he had just heard her confession. Apparently, Ayame was afraid of being taken advantage of by a man and more than anything, she was terrified of being helpless or out of control. Since Ayame seemed to be able to command his subjugation collar, she now seemed content in the knowledge that she was the one who had the power in this relationship. If Kouga did anything to piss her off-he would not be able to escape her or her 'punishments.' Currently, he found this punishment more than enjoyable.

He didn't know why Ayame was now able to control him with the 'submit' command. He supposed it was because he had asked Kagome to free him from his bracelet. Maybe in the process of frying him with her purification powers, she had also managed to 'reset' his beads so that the next person to use the word of subdual would have that power over him.

Right now, he didn't care. The girl he had been secretly pining for was letting him into her body. He tried to steady her above him as she came down on him in waves. He loved the way her warm wetness enclosed and pulled at his engorged length. He loved her cinnamon scent and for once he relished the way his masculine scent mixed with hers. He would never tire of that smell.

He moved one hand from her hip to rub the area where their bodies joined. The red-head above him cried out as she convulsed around him. It only took a moment longer for him to follow her into oblivion.

* * *

The woman known as 'Maru' paced Sesshoumaru's opulent apartment with a look of irritability adorning her lovely features.

"Settle down, Sesshoumaru," Rin pleaded.

"No," was the petulant demoness' curt reply. She was trying her best to pull the front of her kimono closed. Unfortunately, it had been cut for a man, not for a woman with 'D' cups.

"You know," began Rin as she slid up to Maru and effectively stopped her pacing by placing her arm on the platinum blonde's shoulder. "You have two ways that you could handle this..."

The buxom woman snorted. "What ways...?"

Rin let her hand linger for a second on Maru's shoulder before gliding across to her collarbone. The taller girl shivered.

"Well, you can live in the moment and enjoy your time with me or you can..."

"I can what...?" barked the effeminate Sesshoumaru with a note of annoyance.

"Or you can wallow in self-pity all night...alone!" The girl's hand pulled away from him in frustration and her two hands landed on her hips in exasperation.

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru pulled the girl's hands back to his. "How am I supposed to act? I look and sound like a girl..." Then he growled to himself. It was so utterly frustrating to want his mate the way he wanted her, but looking like a woman stopped him dead in his tracks.

The petite girl sighed and closed her eyes. Without ever opening her eyes, her hands crept up to his chest. His flat, warm chest quivered under her fingers. His skin was the softest silk over the firm hardness of his pectorals.

When Sesshoumaru looked down, he gaped in astonishment to see his girlfriend palming his rather large breasts, which had just fallen out of his kimono. He should have been repulsed by the lesbian display, but somehow, seeing his darling Rin touching another woman (even if that women at the moment happened to be him) made all of the blood start to rush to his groin.

Sesshoumaru never had any intention of making any moves on his mate while he looked like a girl. But, something in the back of his mind screamed at him for not seeing this possibility. Like most men, he had fantasies about seeing two women having sex together. But, he would never act on it. Even if the idea of seeing Rin passionately embracing another woman had him panting for breath, he would never suggest such an outlandish idea to his innocent Rin. (Though, for the briefest of seconds he wondered if her time at the Seventh Heaven might have made her open to such kinky ideas.)

Then her delicate, pink tongue started to lick the hardening nipples of his breasts. He noticed almost absentmindedly that his ample bosoms were surging with each gentle caress of her mouth, tongue and hands.

He told himself that he needed to stop her, that it wasn't fair to Rin to place her in a position where it looked like she was making love to a woman.

"You...you don't need to, Rin," he tried to command with imperial tones but he found that his feminine voice just wasn't very authoritative.

Rin only hummed into his flesh, and he felt himself stiffen with need. With one claw, he distractedly swiped at the light switch in his room. At least with the lights off, she wouldn't be able to see what was happening and it would relieve some of his guilt.

However, he would be able to see everything and at this thought he smirked.

* * *

After Inuyasha and Kagome left the crowded subway system, their first thought was to hide low for a while. Unfortunately, neither one of them had any good ideas as to where they could go. Sesshoumaru had already shown absolutely no compunction about showing up at an all-female dormitory. Inuyasha also felt that Kagome's home at the shrine would be the second place that his brother would search.

This all led to Inuyasha finally showing Kagome something he thought she would never see-his room at the Takahashi mansion.

"Don't you think your brother would look here?" queried Kagome as she took in the lavish living space.

Inuyasha barked out a harsh laugh. "The bastard hasn't been home in years. He never was very chummy with my Mom, you know...his step-Mom..." Inuyasha paused and then looked uncertainly at Kagome. "Anyway..."

Kagome looked around, her face glowed red at the edges of her cheeks.

Inuyasha's spotless room was swathed in the deepest of burgundies, and the decor around the room reflected it. A large futon in the middle of the room was decked in a plush maroon comforter. The setting sun was kept at bay by large wooden shutters; light glowed in between each blade of dark wood. Her hand settled on a lacquered black desk that had a thin, silvered laptop on it. Across from the desk, she could see a huge, flat paneled screen with three different gaming systems.

"You...you have so much," stated Kagome with a small amount of hesitation in her voice. She wasn't about to tell him how tiny and insignificant she felt in his home. They had chandeliers, cathedral ceilings, marble floors, and a vast staircase that lead up to three stories. Her home was small and snug. She felt out-classed.

Inuyasha protested by blowing air through his teeth. He waved his arms at the room. "This Kagome," he drew closer to her. "It's nothing, really."

"Nothing?" asked Kagome in confusion. Her dark lashes were all he could see before vulnerable chocolate orbs gazed up at him.

"Yeah, I..." Inuyasha started to scratch his back. "When I...uh...when I first was enrolled at the Shikon Boarding School, I lost all of this." He gesticulated to his room again. "Sure, I was upset at first." He paused for a second. "But soon, I realized that all of this was just stupid junk that I didn't really need..." He grinned before he moved closer to Kagome and put one hand gently on her blushing cheek. "All I ever needed was you. Everything else can just go to hell..."

With those final words, Inuyasha's lips silently met Kagome's. Her fingers traced his smooth masculine jaw before settling on his strong shoulders.

All that could be heard from the room were hushes and shuddered breaths as their clothes started to litter the floor of Inuyasha's once immaculately clean room.

* * *

Inuyasha sighed in contentment. His girl was laying her head on his bare chest, and her naked legs were wrapped around his. He really didn't think that life could get much better than this. He stroked his girlfriend's ebony strands and smiled to himself.

If he hadn't been so damn happy or so enthralled by their recent love-making session, he might have noticed that they weren't alone in the house. By the time he sniffed foreign scents, it was too late to do anything about it.

The door to Inuyasha's room suddenly slammed open, the locked door coming off its hinges.

"Kagome!" screamed Detective Higurashi.

"Dad!" yelped Kagome in absolute horror.

"Shit!" muttered Inuyasha.

* * *

The nightclub called the Dragon's Lair was in bloom tonight. Music boomed from the giant speakers scattered around the large space as intoxicated patrons gyrated to the upbeat rhythm, oblivious to a pair of slitted lizard eyes appraising them from behind a mirrored glass wall.

Ryokotsusei leaned back in his chair, dismissing the amorous picture his club presented and assessing the situation he was currently involved in. Cigar smoke hung in the air, stifling the already heavy atmosphere in the small meeting room. The long table was packed with men in dark suits on both of his sides. The hardened faces he knew well from his various businesses were mostly nervous and unsure due to the changes their world was going through while a few of them portrayed a rebellious attitude.

The dragon demon smirked. Naraku was gone now, and having claimed most of the former mafia boss' territory, Ryokotsusei had become the greatest power among his kind. What was there to be unsure about? He was now the natural leader of Japan's organized crime scene.

Period.

"Gentlemen," he called, instantly killing the furious whispers around the table and leaving only the faint echo of the music to fill the silence. "As you all know, I have the majority of this city under my control. It only makes sense that I control this meeting and the rest of our affairs as well." He glared at the numerous pairs of eyes on him, daring them to speak up as he asked, "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

To his annoyance, one of the newbies sitting on the right wing of the table jumped in. "Naraku thought so as well, and if I remember correctly, you were the one who always questioned his ability to lead us. Where is he now, huh? Taken down by a couple of teenagers and their daddies."

Ryokotsusei hissed in anger, but reminding himself that every one of these men were ready to turn on him at the sign of the smallest weakness, he forced a neutral expression on his face. "I assure you," he gritted as he set the force of his glare on the presumptuous newbie who only cowered slightly in his seat. "Unlike that inept bastard, I have absolute control over everything I deal with. Now, shut the fuck up and let's get on with business. I don't have all day."

A tentative agreement settled in following his harsh statement, and the men moved on to discussing trades of guns, coke, slaves and the like. Even though he kept up a relaxed and confident facade, rage and unease sizzled under the dragon demon's skin. He promised himself then and there that he would never make the mistakes Naraku had made or give these sons of bitches the chance to make fun of him.

Never.

* * *

A rainbow of lights flashed from the ceiling, piercing through the darkness in sync with the upbeat music. Everywhere, round hips rubbed against excited crotches and sweaty hands grabbed at barely covered skin as the mass of bodies moved in a way that could hardly be called dancing. In the middle of this madness but completely unaware of it, Inuyasha slowly swayed to a rhythm in his head, his eyes closed and his nose buried into soft raven locks that had the sweetest scent one could imagine.

He lifted his nose from its warm nest only to lay his forehead against Kagome's. His eyes opened a fraction to see the absolute bliss in her chocolate orbs. "You look happy," he said as he tightened his arms around her waist to bring her even closer to his body.

It was never enough.

The miko mimicked his action with her arms around his neck and grinned. "I am happy. There's so much to celebrate tonight. My dad's alive, Rin's back home and safe, Naraku's no longer threatening our lives..." Her voice trailed off as she brought her left hand down to play with the buttons of his shirt, her fingers subtly feeling the muscles underneath.

He noticed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Inuyasha with a raised eyebrow.

Kagome bit her lip, and her eyes fell on her hand that was trying to sneak under his shirt. "Oh, yes. And, there's this," she said as she stared at the red string tied around her finger with a soft smile on her lips.

Inuyasha brought his hand up, lacing his fingers with hers and placing a soft kiss on the back of her delicate appendage. His own make-believe ring lay in perfect unison with hers. "I can't believe we're engaged," he mumbled.

It had been only yesterday when Kagome's father busted them in his bedroom while they were naked. His cheeks flushed with his lingering embarrassment at the memory.

"_Shit, shit, shit…" Inuyasha mumbled as he dived for the sheets that had fallen off the futon in their haste to satisfy their hunger for each other. Takeshi's voice rang in his ears in a string of broken curses and threats of castration as he threw one of the sheets on Kagome's naked form and hurried to cover his nether regions with another. At some point, he heard the detective scream his father's name followed by a bang on his door._

_Fastening the white cloth around his waist, he glanced at Kagome, who was cowering on his futon, her eyes large with fear. His own eyes widened in panic when he turned around to see his scowling father standing next to a seething Mr. Higurashi. "Umm… Hey, dad."_

_His pathetic attempt to act normal only served to spike Takeshi's anger further. "You little shit!" he screamed. "I thought I could trust you with my daughter! You promised!"_

"_Hey, now," interjected Toga. "You're one of my dearest friends, Takeshi, but that doesn't give you the right to insult my son. From where I stand, your daughter seems as guilty as Inuyasha," he said crossly._

_The detective's furious gaze turned on his friend. From there on, a screaming match ensued between the two adults. Angry comments were exchanged mainly concerning the trustworthiness of teenage boys with their raging hormones, fickle minds and lack of morals. When they reached the topic of teenage pregnancy and how boys ran away with their dicks cowering between their legs in such occasions, the two good friends had almost come to blows._

_Inuyasha, although moved by his father's unwavering belief in him, wondered how Takeshi could doubt his commitment to Kagome. Wasn't it obvious to everyone? But then again, it wasn't surprising that the human detective was slow when it came to grasping the enormity of the bond a demon shared with his mate, or 'mate-to-be' as in his case._

_The hanyou's gaze slid to said mate-to-be, taking in her flushed face, the anxiety in her eyes and the uncertainty in her form as she sat, huddled in a ball of messy raven hair and tangled white sheets on the corner of his bed. He hated to see her so vulnerable. Did she believe the nonsense spilling out of her father's mouth?_

_The mere idea of it made him see red._

"_Shut the fuck up!" he yelled, surprising the adults into silence and bringing the heat of their blazing glares on himself. He ignored them. He couldn't care less about what they thought. The only one whose opinion mattered to him was looking at him with shock in her brown orbs. He had imagined doing this under different circumstances but he dismissed that thought, reminding himself that time and space wasn't what made it special. It was the fact that he was doing this for her._

_And, for him._

_Because, he really, really wanted to do it._

_Before anyone could question what the fuck he was up to, he was on his knees before Kagome. He grabbed her wrists, gently coaxing her up until she was kneeling as well. He kissed her knuckles before placing both of her hands on his chest, right over where his heart beat frantically under his skin. "You feel that?" he asked while she looked at him in confusion. "That belongs to you," he mumbled as he watched her eyes soften in understanding. "Always did and always will."_

_Looking down at the miko's beautiful face now alight with a breathtaking smile, it was Inuyasha's turn to succumb to uncertainty. She was perfect for him, but did she see him in the same light? He gulped, pushing through his fears and made the bravest move of his short life. "Kagome," he whispered as he cupped her cheek with one hand. "Will you marry me?"_

_Kagome gasped and threw herself at him. "Yes," she whispered against his jaw as she hugged his neck with all that she was worth. Her joyous laughter filled his ears before she squealed, "Yes!"_

_The two adults were completely forgotten as the young lovers shared their happiness with small pecks and lots of giggling. "Sorry I don't have a ring," mumbled Inuyasha. "I wasn't planning to do this now." Then an idea occurred to him, and he pulled back from her embrace with a grin. "Wait a second."_

_Crawling to the edge of the futon, he reached for the red hakama pants lying on the floor where he had thrown them in his haste to get naked. Finding the folded edge of its waistband, he cut the cloth from the inside and came up with a string long enough for what he had in mind. _

_Kagome chuckled at his enthusiasm as he returned to her side. She held out her left hand and let him tie the string around her finger before she tied the other end onto his. Their eyes met, giddy and mischievous as the red string that bound them together stretched between their hands._

_The silent communication was broken when something tugged at the string. Inuyasha was surprised to see that Takeshi had joined them on his knees. The older man's eyes were suspiciously misty as he cut the string in the middle with a knife, leaving the teenagers with their separate make-believe rings. Without a word, he kissed his daughter on the forehead. When he turned to Inuyasha, the soft smile he had given to Kagome slowly fell until his face bore a menacing scowl. His voice was deadly serious as he warned the hanyou with several hard pokes to his chest._

"_You will make me a promise, and this time, you will keep it, boy. No grandchildren in the next five years."_

Inuyasha snorted as he remembered 'Daddy' Higurashi's warning. As if he had any intentions of the kind for the foreseeable future. Still, it brought to mind other questions that needed answers. "What happens now?" he asked Kagome.

"About what?"

"I dunno. We're engaged..." He trailed off, suddenly too scared to voice his questions. Did she want to get married right away? Did she want them to buy a house and decorate it? Did she want children? Was he supposed to find a job and support them? But he didn't need to work, did he? He was rich, after all. Still, wasn't he too young and immature to become a family man?

Kagome saved him from having a seizure or a possible heart attack when she chuckled at his terrified expression. "We're engaged," she confirmed as she nodded with a smile. "And, I think we should stay that way for a while."

"A while?" repeated Inuyasha stupidly, feeling that he could breathe again.

"Of course! You don't want to get married and settle down right out of high school, do you?"

"No!" cried out the hanyou as he shook his head vehemently. "Not really."

Kagome giggled at his antics. "Good! Because there's a lot I'd like to do before that. We can go to college, see the world, share an apartment, fight over stupid stuff such as whose turn it is to do the laundry..." She bit her lip and gave him a smoldering look as she added, "And then, we can make up."

"I think I like the sound of it," mumbled Inuyasha before he nuzzled her neck. "Especially the last part. I'd like to make up. A lot."

The miko laughed at his playfulness. When his tickling caresses turned to open-mouthed kisses and her breathing became labored, she slapped his chest half-heartedly and admonished, "Behave, you baka!"

Groaning, he lifted his head, scanning their surroundings in hopes of cooling little Tessaiga off. His gaze landed on two women, dancing provocatively a few feet away from where he swayed with his fiancée. The smaller, dark-haired beauty stood with her back to her partner, mercilessly rubbing her bottom on the taller women's jean covered crotch. Inuyasha's semi-hard on deflated at the sight that most men in the room undoubtedly found hot, and a snicker left his lips. His new 'sister' looked aggravated as the clueless male population of Dragon's Lair persistently tried to move onto the two hot 'girls.' He noted with amusement that Sesshoumaru could still give a mean scowl despite the alluring features of his now feminine face.

Too bad the guys were not focused on his face.

A hearty chuckle escaped the hanyou's lips, and glowering golden eyes snapped in his direction, promising endless torture if he didn't put a stop to their humiliation. Inuyasha shrugged carelessly, unfazed by his brother's death glare. Sesshoumaru had been threatening to kill him every five minutes since the bracelet incident, but the hanyou was adamant. Even when the dog demon had nearly throttled him to death, he didn't give in. It was a good thing he knew his brother needed him alive if he ever wanted to look like a man again. Despite his stubborn nature, the boy probably wouldn't have resisted as long otherwise.

Sesshoumaru could be really scary when he wanted to.

Regardless of his gender.

Having enough of watching his brother growl at the men that tried to dance with him-with his ass, to be more accurate-for the moment, Inuyasha turned his attention to the third couple of their little group. Kouga was dancing with Ayame behind the miko. The blessed look on his face was unprecedented for the wolf demon especially since his hands were in no place amorous but simply rested on the redhead's waist.

"That guy's so in love, it's not even funny," he commented, causing Kagome to glance back at the unlikely couple.

"Love's never something to be laughed at, Inuyasha," she chided softly.

As they watched, a pair of hands crept up Kouga's arms and settled on his chest before a blond head peeked behind his shoulder. The wolf demon stiffened, but before he could react, Ayame jerked him away to reveal one of the girls Inuyasha vaguely remembered seeing with Kouga in the past.

"Hey," the girl cried out in surprise. "What is your problem?"

"My problem," growled the redhead with murderous eyes, "is that you're groping my boyfriend."

The girl giggled in disbelief. "You're delusional. Kouga doesn't do girlfriends."

"Oh, but he does," sneered Ayame. "In fact, he's been doing the girlfriend since yesterday afternoon... hard... and fast." She tried to move forward as she spit her words, but Kouga held fast to her waist, keeping his girl from making a scene.

The blond snorted at her bold declaration. "Look girl, I've had a tough week and I'm trying to relax and have some fun. He's good at relaxing tight muscles, if you know what I mean. So, stop being a bitch and share, will you?"

"Hey, watch your mouth," Kouga started to say at the same time Ayame cried out a word Inuyasha had only seen Kaede use against the wolf demon before. The wolf demon's last word came out as more of a yelp as he fell to the ground face first.

Ayame didn't waste a second and launched forward, landing a hard slap to the girl's shocked face. Her assault was quickly retaliated, and by the time Kouga's subjugation spell started to wear off, there was a full on cat-fight involving long nails, hair pulling and lots of screeching.

Inuyasha blinked only to realize that his arms were suddenly empty. Before he could stop her, Kagome joined the group, holding on to the blond's arm and forcing her to release Ayame's hair. The flabbergasted hanyou caught flashes of delicate fists flying around, some landing on their intended target while others met innocent spectators. It was when a big, angry guy grabbed Kagome by the waist and hauled her off of the other girl that Inuyasha came back to his senses.

"Oh no, you don't," he growled as he jumped into action and punched the guy in the nose, hearing a satisfying crack as a reward. His opponent fell back, taking at least three more patrons with him. When they stood up, it was four against one, and Inuyasha found that the number of his opponents never dwindled enough to let him take a breath no matter how fast he knocked them out.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Rin dragging a disheveled Kagome toward the exit while Sesshoumaru followed close-by, carrying Ayame over his shoulder as she kicked and screamed bloody murder. He tried to join them but was sucked back into the fight when random fists kept coming at him.

Soon, he noticed that he was inching closer to the back of the club instead of the front doors. Kouga was fighting next to him when their backs hit a glass wall, trapping them in place while a bunch of furious men blocked their exit.

Cracking his knuckles, the big guy with the broken nose stepped forward, flanked by his buddies. Each bruised face held a murderous glare directed at the two boys. Suddenly, there were too many hands to deflect, and Inuyasha found himself being lifted along with Kouga. In the next second, they were flying in the air until they collided with the glass wall, shattering it with the force of their momentum.

The hanyou's back hit something hard. Outraged cries assaulted his ears, and he glanced around to see that he was lying on a long table, surrounded by glass shards and numerous men in suits blinking down at him in stunned silence. A sharp hiss from above brought his gaze up where two slitted lizard eyes shot daggers at the top of his head.

"You," growled the man whom Inuyasha recognized was a dragon demon.

Someone piped up from the group. "Aren't these the boys that brought Naraku down, boss?"

The snickers that arose from the group of suits seemed to increase the boss' ire.

"Umm... Do I know you?" asked the hanyou, getting nervous under the dragon's death glare.

"You do now," snarled the demon. "And when I'm finished with you, you'll wish you never met me."

The boys had been in this particular situation before, and when they heard the swish of cloth against metal, they didn't waste a moment to see the guns that were surely being drawn at their expense. They were up and out of the room before anyone blinked, bulldozing their way out of the club with their heels hitting their asses as they ran.

Inuyasha threw himself to the curb right after Kouga. He leaned against a lamppost as he struggled to catch his breath. Hearing Kagome's voice calling for him, he looked up to see her jogging toward him. The rest of their group followed behind.

"What took you so long?" she asked as she stopped in front of him. "I was getting worried."

"No time to explain," wheezed the hanyou. He grabbed her hand and started toward the parking lot. "Hurry up!" he called out. "We don't have time!"

After they piled into Sesshoumaru's jeep and took off with a screech of tires, the boys gave a brief summary of the events their friends had missed, earning an amusingly female growl of displeasure from the dog demon. Since the younger two couples didn't want their parents to see their 'just got out of a fight' appearance, their first stop was Sesshoumaru's office, which was conveniently close to the area.

"Morons," the dog demon grumbled as he settled on his leather chair. "I can't believe you let things go so far. Haven't you learned anything?"

"Now wait a minute, you bastard. It wasn't our fau-... ouch!" Inuyasha yelped in pain when Kagome pressed a wet cloth on his busted lip.

"Oops," she exclaimed with an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"Not your fault my ass," mumbled Sesshoumaru. His office phone rang, cutting his tirade before he even started. "Takahashi." The demon rolled his eyes at whatever the caller said. "He's not here. I'm his _sister_." The final word was spat with a nasty glare at his younger brother. "Yes. Yes? Oh, really?" As the cryptic one-sided conversation went on, an evil glint ignited in his golden orbs. Playing with the bracelet on his wrist, he appraised his frowning brother in silence for a couple seconds before speaking to the receiver, "All right. Send them up."

"What the fuck was that about?"

"That, Inuyasha, was the security from downstairs," explained Sesshoumaru nonchalantly, examining his pink polished nails with boredom. "Apparently, your friends from Dragon's Lair are here to pay a visit to the two of you imbeciles. And, they're bearing gifts in the form of heavy arms."

"Holy shit," exclaimed Kouga.

"The fuck?" cried out the hanyou as he jumped to his feet. "Why the hell did you let them in?"

The dog demon rolled his eyes. "Because, you baka, they would kill more than necessary if I didn't."

Inuyasha's eyes widened in disbelief, and he flailed his arms around like a madman as he ranted. "More than necessary? More than fucking necessary? Are you fucking saying that we're _necessary casualties_? So what? You'll just sit back on your fucking ass and watch those fuckers use us for fucking target practice? Is that it?"

"That is one of the options, yes." Sesshoumaru nodded gravely before the corner of his lips twitched in amusement. "But, today is your lucky day," he announced as he opened one of the drawers on his desk and came up with the bracelet Kouga used to wear, dangling it on his delicate finger.

The silence in the room was profound, broken only by the clinking of beads as Kouga's bracelet swayed back and forth, knocking against the one on Sesshoumaru's wrist with each pass. Seconds ticked while the hanyou and the wolf demon stood frozen in horror.

And then, there was sound.

"Fuck no!" cried out Kouga.

"Dammit! Not again!" yelled Inuyasha.

"Oh, yes... again," snickered Sesshoumaru. "Now be good and hold out your wrists," he ordered before adding with a satisfied smirk on his pink lips, "..._girls_."

**THE END**

* * *

_What was your favorite moment in 'He's My Girl'?_

* * *

_**Authors' Notes:**_

_#1: If you don't like the ending, remember that Inuyasha has a Tessaiga with a Wind Scar now. Maybe he'll take down Ryokotsusei's gang in one fell swoop! ;-)_

_#2: While Ai visited Japan, she was amazed to discover that Russia was only 200 miles away from a city that she was visiting. The other countries that are close by are South Korea, North Korea and China._

_#3: In case you were wondering, Karaumea came up with the idea of having Inuyasha and Kouga gender changed and stuck as hot looking girls at a boarding school. Ai (who is a lover of Shakespeare) saw how similar this was to the classic 'the Twelfth Night.' At the end of the play, the Duke Orsino confesses that he had been attractd to Volia (who was dressing up as a guy) all along. Ai thought it would be fun if in our story, that someone like Orsino actually acted on the attraction to someone of the 'apparent' same gender. ^_^_

_#4: We were amazed at how many of you were worried that we wouldn't finish up Kouga's storyline. Hopefully, you are happy with the conculsion of his realtionship with Ayame. No, we don't have any more plans for a Kouga tale, but we hope you like how we tied things up._

_#5: Are you wondering what you should be reading now that 'He's My Girl' is done? Ai recommends: Heartless and Sandroid by Karaumea, Entrapment: A 21st Century Adventure by King Baka, A Tale Ever After by Knitting Knots and (if you haven't read this masterpiece yet) Behind the Silk Screen by Eien-no-Basho. Ai Kisugi also plans on writing a 'Modern Inuyasha Fairytale' next if you want to put her on an Author Alert. In the story, Inuyasha is a modern hanyou, who wakes up a miko from a 500-year sleep._


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